Title Psalm 13:1-6 How long?
Content Psalm 13 How long?
1. How long? (1-2)
In the life of a believer, there are times when I feel a sense of despair and loneliness as if God's help has been cut off. There are times when I feel as if God has completely forgotten me or has abandoned me. There are times when it feels like prayers will never be answered. So all day long the soul is troubled with pain, and there are times when the heart is filled with sorrow.
"Managed in the soul" means "have pain in the soul". In fact, I can endure being abandoned by people, but I cannot stand the loneliness of being abandoned by God. At times like these, believers cry out, "How long?" There was a time when Jesus cried out on the cross as well.
“My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?” David frankly confessed his despair and loneliness before God. "How long, O LORD? How long will you hide? How long? How long?"
2. Think of me and answer me (3-4)
When a believer feels hopeless and lonely, it is when he prays to God. A believer's despair is turned into earnest prayer.
In despair, David called on the name of God and asked God to “think of him” and “answer” his cry. David cried out and prayed like this because he believed that God is the one who cares about life (Psalm 8:4) and answers the prayers of believers (Psalm 5:3).
David also prayed to “brighten his eyes.” You can mourn when your eyes go dark and sleep in the "sleep of death". The sleep of death means spiritual death that falls from the grace of God. If a believer does not receive God's gracious help for a long time, he threatens to darken his spiritual eyes.
The three disciples fell asleep and abandoned Jesus. The two disciples were blinded and mourned and did not recognize the Lord. “Open my eyes,” “Open my eyes, that I may see marvelous things in Your law” (Psalm 119:18). This should be our prayer.
“I wonder if my enemies will rejoice.” David was afraid that his enemies would prevail. Under no circumstances should the victory of the enemy be allowed. Because when I fall, Satan rejoices and God fails.
3. I will rejoice in your salvation (5-6)
Those who pray will have faith in God as righteousness. We trust in God's mercy, we become sure of God's salvation, and our hearts are filled with joy.
This is the mystery of prayer. When we are sure of God's love and salvation, our hearts overflow with joy. And a song flows out of his heart. Also, I sing praises looking forward to God's hospitality and abundant grace for me.
Dissatisfaction arises when you think you have not received what you deserve, and praise of thanks occurs when you think you have received more than you deserve. A true believer always thinks that he has been given an abundance of grace that overflows with wrath. "The grace of our Lord abounded exceedingly" (1 Timothy 1:14).
“We” here refers to the poor and needy, the saints. "Help, O LORD" "Keep us and preserve us, O LORD" This is the content of the prayers the saints living in the evil age cry out to God. Our Lord also taught us to pray daily, saying, “Deliver us from evil.”
It doesn't matter if "badness grows high in life" or "bad people run rampant everywhere" We will just continue our prayers. God hears our prayers, saves us, protects us, and preserves us. "Help, O LORD, protect and preserve us, O LORD."