Psalm 13
How long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever?
How long will you hide your face from me?
How long must I take counsel in my soul
and have sorrow in my heart all the day?
How long shall my enemy be exalted over me?
Consider and answer me, O Lord my God;
light up my eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death,
lest my enemy say, “I have prevailed over him,”
lest my foes rejoice because I am shaken.
But I have trusted in your steadfast love;
my heart shall rejoice in your salvation.
I will sing to the Lord,
because he has dealt bountifully with me.
This is one of my favorite Psalms. It answers one of the believer’s greatest questions: “What do I do when trouble is all around and God is silent?”
David was a man who knew about God’s mighty power. He saw firsthand God’s awesome wonders; yet, he asks, “How long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever?” David knew that God had not left him, but he still questioned when facing destruction at the hand of his enemies. Nevertheless, David’s faith proved true in the end. In the writing of this Psalm, David exemplified the right attitude when confronted by the enemy and the apparent silence of God.
I like to summarize David’s point this way:
Because I placed (past tense) my trust in God, and He has dealt (progressive past tense) bountifully with me by means of loving-kindness and salvation; I will (presently and in the future) rejoice and sing to the Lord even when He is silent in times of trouble.
When it seems that God is not answering our heart’s cry when difficulty comes our way, we need to remember the times His mighty hand has delivered us in the past. Praise Him for what He has already done even while in the present storm. This is the right action when trouble is all around and God is silent.
Basking in His grace,
Joe Swords
Bethel Baptist Church 