Psalm 13: 2 How
long must I wrestle with my thoughts and day after day have sorrow in my heart?
How long will my enemy triumph over me? (NIV)
Do you ever have trouble sleeping at night because you
have too many thoughts rattling through your head? Do you go through days when
your heart is hurt and heavy because someone wounded or disappointed you? Do
you have moments when you want to pack everything all in because your problems
are overwhelming and you can’t focus on any one of them? Me, too – welcome to
the real world.
Psalm 13 is one of the shortest songs in the whole Bible
but it contains so much truth and relevance that I find myself returning to it repeatedly,
especially when I have personal issues. The words appeal to me because of the
boldness of the author – this is someone who knows trouble and needs to vent to
God about it. It’s a hymn of complaint which we call a lament – the writer has
been deeply hurt and wonders why God hasn’t done anything to remedy the
situation or deal with the problem. There is an initial element of
disappointment in his words as if the psalmist is saying to God “I have placed
all of my faith in You, so why aren’t You sticking up for me? Why aren’t You
helping me to overcome my foes and clear up this messy situation, God?”
This is why I love the Book of Psalms – the candid
complaints and painful protests are very human and clearly directed toward God.
God’s inactivity is bewildering; His indifference is frustrating; His
forgetfulness is almost infuriating. The psalmist feels let down and depressed,
isolated and vulnerable. He cannot find peace, happiness, or hope. He struggles
with his dilemma and he wrestles with God. Do you know that feeling? Me, too.
In the end, the songwriter surrenders himself to God’s
will. In a remarkable leap of faith, he decides to remain connected to the
Lord. No matter what happens, he trusts God completely – the psalmist has
vented his spleen and voiced his complaint. He now leaves it in God’s hands and
aims instead to praise God for past blessings. This is not fair-weathered or a convenient
faith; this is hard-to-endure and on-the-edge faith. This is what it truly
means to believe in God.
Points to Ponder
What is presently troubling me? What issues am I experiencing?
Have I complained to God? Am I willing to leave my problems in His hands? Do I
still want to praise Him?
Prayer: Lord God, You know us completely and fully
understand the worries that weary us and the problems that presently burden us.
Give us the will to hand them all over to You. Allow us the blessing of
praising You in both good and bad times. In Christ’s Name, we pray. Amen.
John Stuart is the pastor
of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. If you would like to give
some feedback or ask questions about today’s message, please send John an email
to Traqair@aol.com.
Today’s image is one of
John’s Bible drawings of Psalm 13. If you would like to view a larger version,
click here: Psalm 13.
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