Its Good To Hear From You Again Series

Psalm 13: 1 – 6

Its Good To Hear From You Again

1 How long, O LORD? Will You forget me forever? How long will You hide Your face from me? 2 How long shall I take counsel in my soul, having sorrow in my heart daily? How long will my enemy be exalted over me? 3 Consider and hear me, O LORD my God; Enlighten my eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death; 4 Lest my enemy say, “I have prevailed against him”; Lest those who trouble me rejoice when I am moved. 5 But I have trusted in Your mercy; My heart shall rejoice in Your salvation. 6 I will sing to the LORD, because He has dealt bountifully with me.

I find it very interesting as I look at certain scripture I wind up in some way experiencing what I am reading. Does it happen to you? For example, just today a brother came up to me with a book and asked me my opinion of it. He is counseling this heartbroken guy whose wife is committing adultery and wanted to give this guy something to read in order to encourage him.

Some people have labeled me a white collar guy with a blue collar disposition. In counseling I like to say to couples or individuals that I can give them my opinion in one of two ways. I can sugar coat my observation or I can tell them ‘straight up’ what I see as the problem. Most people faced with this choice opt for the truth.

My answer to this caring counselor is that I thought the book was garbage. I told him that I have come to see that most books are just a waste of time for Christians. I told him that many books are like astrology. In them you can find something that may hit home. I said that the one book I would give to this hurting brother is to stay in his bible and read the Psalms. Many of the emotional trials we experience was also dealt with by those who penned the Psalms. We all know the Scripture reference listed in the book of Hebrews chapter 4, “For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.”

What I love about the Psalms is that they normally begin with some painful experience and ends with praise to the One Who Is in control of everything.

I know you will see my point exactly as we look at this wonderful Word of God.

As often with the Psalms this is the cry of someone in dire trouble. It would fit many periods in David’s life, but it would also fit the same in many of his godly successors. It would also fit Israel at various times. In the end it is a message that sometimes fits us all. And that is the genius of the Psalms. They apply to the psalmist, they apply to those who sing the psalms, and they apply to all who read them today. But the psalm also ends on a note of confident assurance. The psalmist refuses to believe that our Father God will leave him in his distress.

1 How long, O LORD? Will You forget me forever? How long will You hide Your face from me? 2 How long shall I take counsel in my soul, having sorrow in my heart daily? How long will my enemy be exalted over me?

In my distress even though I know the Goodness, Faithfulness, Mercy, and Grace of our Holy Master, I think that with all the people in the world somehow He Is so busy that He does not or will not help me. This is sinful thinking. I forget to ponder that He Is All Knowing; All Power; and always All Present. I forget just how Big my Holy God Is.

I can relate to the psalmist, who has been at prayer over his problems but feels that his prayers are unanswered, and that Adoni Yahweh has forgotten him, and has hidden His face from him, and he does not know why. It almost feels to him as though it is going to be forever, and yet he does not really think so, for he asks how much longer he must wait.

He is puzzled and wants to know how long this is to go on. His thoughts within him are in turmoil, his heart is filled with sorrow, and the reason is because his enemy seems to triumph. It seems as if the enemy is always winning.

Now here is a question to ponder. When are you most overwhelmed with the issues of life? For most I would venture to guess it is the evening. We see that the one writing this Psalm has problems during the day time. -‘How long shall I take counsel in my soul, having sorrow in my heart by day?’ Doesn’t this guy work for a living?