SURVIVING THE SILENCE
Psalm 13:1-6
There are numerous synonyms that we use to describe times of difficulty; we speak of walking through a valley, wandering through the wilderness, or enduring a storm. Each of these metaphors is used to describe the severe troubles that we experience in this life.
Troublesome times are not exclusive to Christians, everyone who has ever lived has endured much trouble. Job said, “Man who is born of a woman is of few days and full of trouble” (Job 14:1). I am sure that every one of you have endured your fair share of troubles, pain, and heartache. Many of us would testify that it was our relationship with the LORD that sustained us through the deepest and darkest valleys. We find great hope and assurance through the Scriptures and we are able to press on in spite of the severity of our troubles. With that being said, one of the most difficult things that we will ever experience in this life is when, in the midst of a “storm”, we cry out to God and He is silent.
If we are “in Christ” then we are God’s children, as such, we have direct access to the Father. Furthermore, we have the opportunity (and the obligation) to spend time communing with Him. We talk to God through prayer and He speaks to us through His Word. This is indeed a grand and glorious privilege, however, there are times when it seems as if we are having a one-way conversation; sometimes these periods of silence are extended and excruciating!
Some of you may be in the midst of such a time as we speak. If so, I believe that our selected text is one that will provide you with hope, encouragement, and instruction. I would like for us to examine this Psalm of David and consider the thought “Surviving The Silence”.
Many commentators believe that this Psalm was penned by David when he was hiding from King Saul in the wilderness. Others think that it came about as a result of David’s own son Absalom rebelling and plotting against him. Regardless of the specifics, it is clear that this mighty man of God was weak, weary, and at the point of despair. The primary issue at this point was not David’s circumstances, but rather his distress concerning the seeming abandonment by God.
- As we consider how to survive the silence of God, let us begin by examining:
I. OUR PROBLEM
Often when we talk about the storms of life we focus on those issues that cause us physical, emotional, mental, or spiritual suffering. In this assembly there are people who are dealing with various health issues, strained marriages, rebellious children, financial struggles, and more. Some of you are walking through a period of grief as a result of losing a loved one. Several others may be in the midst of some sort of spiritual unrest. As difficult as these things are, our suffering is amplified when it seems as if God has abandoned us.
- With all of the many problems that we experience in this life, one of the most distressing is that there are times when:
A. WE FEEL AS IF THE LORD HAS FORGOTTEN US
1a How long, O Lord? Will You forget me forever?
Three times in this Psalm David asks the question, “how long?”. This was a rhetorical question; when he said, “how long?” David did not expect God to speak from Heaven and say, “two more weeks”. This phrase was David’s way of expressing his frustration over the fact that it seemed that God had forgotten about him.
Though this is one of the darker Psalms, it is one of my favorites; I appreciate the honesty of David’s lament to God. Keep in mind, David was God’s man. This is the man that God chose to be the leader of His people. David is the one whom God described as a man after His own heart. Knowing that he possessed such a close relationship with God it must have confused David greatly as he endured this period of silence.
Similarly, when we experience the silence of God we may be exceedingly confused. Think about it, we are God’s children! We know the great price that He paid for our redemption. We are assured of His love for us, and if He loves us like He says He does, why would He be silent when our world is falling apart? Why are there times when He does not answer even when we have pleaded with Him fervently and consistently? Like David, there may be times when we feel as if our circumstances and His silence is unfair and we cry out, “How long Lord?!”
- Sometimes our problem is that we feel as if God has forgotten us; but there are other times that are even worse. I am referring to the fact that sometimes:
B. WE FEEL AS IF THE LORD HAS FORSAKEN US
1b How long will You hide Your face from me?
In his first statement, David implies that God has forgotten about him, but then he intensifies his lament and implies that God had forsaken Him. To “forget” can be an unintentional oversight, to “forsake” implies a deliberate action. You may schedule an appointment with me and I may get busy or distracted with other tasks and responsibilities and forget to meet you. But if I know about the appointment, remember it, and deliberately ignore it, that is a far greater offense.
There may be times in your life when it seems as if God has forsaken you. We know about the many amazing attributes of God; We know that He is omniscient (all knowing), we know that He is omnipresent (everywhere at all times), and we know that He is omnipotent (all powerful). Knowing these realities are often a source of great comfort. However, knowing all that our God can do can also be a great source of frustration when He does not do what we think He should, when we think He should do it.
David reached a point where it seemed as if God had forgotten and even forsaken Him. We may find ourselves in a similar place; in those times when we must endure the seeming silence of God it brings about a whole host of problems.
- This Psalm also illustrates the reasons why we reach such a place in our lives. We feel as if God has forsaken us:
1. BECAUSE OF THE AGONY WE ENDURE
2a How long shall I take counsel (wrestle) in my soul, Having sorrow in my heart daily?
The Christian Standard Bible translates this verse this way, “How long will I store up anxious concerns within me, agony in my mind every day?
David endured great agony; he declares that he possessed sorrow in his heart on a daily basis. This great man of God was at a point where he was wrestling in his soul. His life was filled with numerous anxious concerns.
In this life, problems come, sometimes they intensify, and many times they stick around. As a result of the continued sorrow that we experience we begin to feel as if the Lord has forgotten or even forsaken us. This issue is certainly apparent in those times when we have spent ample time in prayer and nothing has changed.
Even when it seems as if our prayers have gone unheard, we must resolve to take our burdens to the Lord. Peter exhorts us to “Cast all our cares (anxieties) on Jesus, because he cares for us” (1 Peter 5:7).
In Psalm 13:1 David illustrates one of our great problems in times of trouble; rather than immediately and consistently taking our burdens to the LORD, we “take counsel in our soul”. When faced with problems and adversity we often foolishly look inside ourselves rather than looking to the Lord. Such an action only serves to intensify and extend our problems.
- We feel as if God has forgotten and forsaken us because of the agony we endure and also:
2. BECAUSE OF THE ADVERSITY WE EXPERIENCE
2b How long will my enemy be exalted over me?
We are not certain of the exact “enemy” that David is referring to. It could have been King Saul, it could have been his own rebellious son Absalom, or it could have been someone else. Regardless, this “enemy” was causing David great distress. David is clearly at a point of defeat and it seems as if his enemy was on the verse of a great victory.
I cannot help but wonder if one of the reasons that David was so burdened about the apparent victory of his enemy is because He knew that his circumstances affected many people, specifically God’s people. David had been called and chosen by the Lord to lead His people. Therefore, David’s enemies were the LORD’s enemies. Anyone who would attack him, was in essence attacking the people of God.
Every Christian in this building is in a similar situation. When adversity and adversaries come against us, it affects more than just us; it affects all of those whom God has entrusted into our care. Often when you are under attack and struggling spiritually there is a temptation to just give up and quit the battle. Instead of fighting, we think it would be best to just forfeit!
Our Adversary (Satan) would love nothing more than for us to walk away and give in to his evil tactics. He would love for us to come to the point where we feel that God has forgotten or forsaken us and for us to respond by forsaking Him. This would be a good time for me to remind you that God has said “I will never leave you nor forsake you” (Hebrews 13:5). Though there are times when it seems as if you cannot see Him, hear Him, or feel Him, He never has and never will leave you. It is imperative that you plant your feet and remain steadfast (even in times of silence) and resolve to never leave Him.
Tragically, many of our brothers and sisters have faced some sort of adversity and endured those periods of silence and as a result they have walked away from the Lord. They are defeated and the enemy is “exalted over them”. In these instances, many other people are suffering as a result.
As your pastor, if I give up and quit fighting the battle it will affect everyone in this church and a host of others outside of it. As servants in this church, if you give up the fight it will affect many of your brothers and sisters in Christ. As Christian parents, if we give up in those times of trouble, pain, and heartache it will have an immediate, lasting, and possibly an eternal impact on our children. Yes, the silence of God can be very difficult to endure but knowing the consequences WE MUST ENDURE!!
Understanding the influence we have on others and the importance of being faithful to the Lord we must seek to endure the silence properly. One necessary response in the midst of the silence is for us to remain constant and fervent in prayer.
Now that we have examined OUR PROBLEM, let us move on to consider:
II. OUR PRAYER
As I mentioned earlier, this is one of David’s darker Psalms, but it is also beautiful. Why? Because it shows us that we can (and should) pray to the Lord and continue to praise Him even in the midst of great adversity and even when it seems that He has forsaken us.
- David shows several things that we should pray for. First of all he shows us that:
A. WE SHOULD PRAY FOR INTERVENTION
3a Consider and hear me, O Lord my God;
The word “consider” here is translated from a Hebrew word that means “to scan”, “look intently at”, or “examine”. Realizing that this prayer is offered by a man who feels as if the Lord had forsaken him it is almost as if David is crying out “LORD, REMEMBER ME!” He wanted the Lord to know that even in the adversity and silence his feet had not slipped. Though I am sure he was tempted to give up and at the point of despair, he still trusted in the LORD his God. Furthermore, he trusted that the LORD would hear and respond to his plea.
Concerning your current situation, in the midst of your devastating circumstances and the frustrating silence of God are you still trusting in Him? Can you echo the words of Job and say, “Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him”?
- No matter what you are facing it is important for you to pray for intervention. This Psalm also shows us that:
B. WE SHOULD PRAY FOR RESTORATION
v3b Enlighten (restore brightness to) my eyes, Lest I sleep the sleep of death;
Though David felt forgotten and forsaken, he was wise enough to know that his circumstances had blurred his spiritual vision. He knew that as bad as things were, they were not the ultimate reality. As a result he pleaded with God to “enlighten” his eyes.
Too often in times of trouble we focus on our problems instead of looking to the LORD. If we truly want to “survive the silence” we must follow David’s example and cry out to God with a desire for Him to shine His light upon us. We should pray that He would provide us with the wisdom and knowledge that we need to endure our circumstances.
- When we are facing great problems we should pray for intervention, for restoration, and verse 4 shows us that:
C. WE SHOULD PRAY FOR PROTECTION
v4 Lest my enemy say, “I have prevailed against him”; Lest those who trouble me rejoice when I am moved.
In this moment it seemed as if defeat was imminent, yet David still trusted in the Lord. He knew that victory was still possible if the Lord was on His side. However, he also knew that the Lord was his only hope and if God did not respond, his enemies would boast and declare “I have prevailed against him”.
There are times when we are under spiritual attack and it seems that we have no hope of victory. Usually this is because we are trying to win the battle on our own. If we attempt this, defeat is certain. However, if we will remain steadfast in our faith in the Lord, if we will cry out to Him, we can rest in the fact that He will protect us from our enemies and we can trust that in His time, we will experience victory over our foes.
The troubles of life will come and quite often they are severe. Problems arise and it seems as if there is no hope of victory. People rise against us and cause us great pain. Spiritually speaking we have an adversary that is “walking about like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour”. In all of these situations (and many others) we must remember that the Almighty God is on our side and He cannot be defeated. This fact is true even when it seems that He is silent.
When we face severe problems prayer is necessary, moreover, this Psalm shows us another requirement for surviving the silence. Let’s briefly consider:
III. OUR PRAISE
One of the most fascinating realities concerning this Psalm is the fact that David transitions from prayer to praise before the Lord ever responded to his plea. This is a great testament to the faith that David possessed.
- If we seek to survive the silence, then we too must praise God! Verse 5 shows us that we should:
A. PRAISE GOD FOR HIS STEADFAST LOVE
v5a But I have trusted in Your mercy;
It is important to note that David does not say “I will trust”, or “help me to trust in your mercy”, he speaks in the past tense. He says, “I have trusted”. This great man of God refused to let his problems and the fact that God seemed to be silent destroy his faith.
In his prayer David asked God to “enlighten his eyes”, it seems as if we are getting a glimpse of an answered prayer. Even in the midst of such turmoil and tragedy David’s eyes were open and he saw evidence of the God whom he felt had abandoned him.
God’s “mercy” or “steadfast/unfailing” love remains even in the midst of the most difficult times of our lives. We are not promised a life of ease. Problems will come and there will be times when it feels like God has forgotten us. Even in these times we can and should rejoice in the mercy of God.
- We should praise God for His steadfast love and we should:
B. PRAISE GOD FOR HIS SALVATION
v5b My heart shall rejoice in Your salvation.
Salvation speaks of the deliverance that David received from God. He had already experienced God’s deliverance in the past and he is assured that the LORD would deliver him from his current circumstances. Therefore his heart had ample reason to rejoice.
Each us that belongs to Jesus have experienced the ultimate salvation. We have been saved from our sins and delivered from the wrath of God. Furthermore, we have been walking with Jesus long enough to look back on those times that He has seen us through times of extreme difficulty. These occasions have served to strengthen our faith to the point that we can look at our present circumstances and trust that He will deliver us again. This hope, this deliverance is cause for us to “rejoice in the Lord’s salvation”.
- We should praise God for His steadfast love toward us, we should praise Him because our His salvation, and finally we should:
C. PRAISE GOD FOR OUR SECURITY
v6 I will sing to the Lord, Because He has dealt bountifully with me.
David’s reasons for rejoicing were so marvelous that it prompted the sweet singer of Isreal to “sing to the Lord”. Even in the midst of great adversity, David had a song in his heart; even in a period of silence from God, David still sang unto His LORD. He knew that in spite of his troubles, God has dealt bountifully with him. This points to the fact that God had provided generously for His servant.
This should be the case for us as well. Every single person in this assembly has ample reasons to rejoice and sing unto the Lord. We all have our problems, and sometimes they are immense and intense! However, in spite of all of our troubles and struggles we have great security in the LORD. He has and will continue to provide generously for His children.
We all have needs: some are financial, some are material, some are physical, and some are spiritual in nature. No matter what your need is, your God has the power and ability to provide for you. (Philippians 4:19 And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.)
It is fascinating to see the transition in this Psalm; it begins with David lamenting the fact that God had forgotten and forsaken him and it ends with him praising the LORD for all of His generous blessings. This is the benefit of praying and praising God, even in times of silence.
We all have problems, yours may be that you feel as if the Lord has forgotten you, even worse it may seem as if He has forsaken you. You may feel this way because of the agony you have endured and/or the adversity you have experienced. When you find yourself in this situation it is imperative that you spend time in prayer. Pray for the Lord’s intervention, restoration, and protection. Look to the Lord and remember all that He has done for you in the past and trust that He will do it again in the future. Praise Him for His steadfast love, salvation, and security. Prayer and praise in the midst of troubles and turmoil is not always easy, but it is essential if we seek to “Survive The Silence”.
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