Transcript:
Hey church family, we almost taught on Psalm 13 this last Sunday and even though we changed directions, I thought it would still be an encouraging devotional for us in the midst of the ever changing Covid-19 pandemic situation we find ourselves in. In times of suffering and trial, Christians have consistently turned to the Psalms in every difficult situation. As Athanasius of Alexandria, one of the ancient church fathers wrote, “Whatever your particular need or trouble, from [the Psalms] you can find a form of words to fit it, [and] learn the way to remedy your ill.”
If you’ve got a Bible, grab it and open up to Psalm 13. Feel free to pause this video right now and read through the short 6 verses of the Psalm on your own. [[Pause]]
The Psalm is set up in 3 sets of 2 verse pairs and there’s a progression from one pair to the next. The first pair starts with David coming to God, no holds barred, crying out, pouring out his heart to the Lord. I’m going to break down these 5 or 6 questions he volleys at the Lord and we’ll see how his questions reflect and relate to some of our questions. V. 1
Pouring Out Questions
Psalm 13:1-6
1 How long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever?
Suffering has this strange ability to play with time. It can stretch time making a moment feel like forever. Can also shrink it, making time feel like sand slipping through our hands. But for David, This moment feels like it won’t quit. It feels like forever. “How long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever?” He doesn’t know how long his suffering will endure. And he doesn’t know how long he can endure in the midst of it.
For us here and now, in the midst of this pandemic - none of us know how long this season will last? We can easily join David in crying out to God, “how long, O Lord?” But this isn’t just a simple matter of time for David… Look back at v. 1
How long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me?
David’s pain and suffering is having a profound spiritual effect. God, you’re hiding your face from me. You’re forgetting about me. Like we do so often, David is interpreting God love and relational posture towards him, based on his circumstances. While this is backwards and David knows this, right here it doesn’t matter. He’ll recover his theological bearings soon enough. But for now He’s coming to God honest. He’s pouring it all out. V. 2 is a two part question:
2 How long must I take counsel in my soul?
This a profound statement of isolation. I have no one else to counsel with. How long? No one who understands what I’m going through.
Once again I see some direct connection to our current circumstance. I love to see the ways our church family is fighting to stay connected, using technology, virtual meetings, etc. in the midst of our social distancing. But the truth is our isolation is more than physical. None of us knows exactly what is the wisest course for ourselves or our family. The experts can’t fully agree on how long this will last. There are all kinds of implications for what our lives will look like next week, next month, next year.
I love that in times like these God invites us to come find wisdom from Him (James 1:5 and Proverbs 2:6). He is our great counselor who is never at a loss for what the right next move is. As we just read in the Lent guide, He gives us His Spirit to lead us into the truth.
I’d also encourage us to prayerfully consider who may be feeling even more isolated than you. Who have you not seen or heard from? Who deals with depression or anxiety and might not have the energy to reach out right now? Ok vs. 2:
2 How long must I take counsel in my soul and have sorrow in my heart all the day?
How long must I have sorrow in my heart all the day? David says, God everywhere I look, there’s sadness and sorrow without end. Uncertainty and pain. Confusion and deep sadness. There is a moment where sadness sets it’s hooks deep in our hearts and minds and we call it despair or depression. Things we normally love lose their appeal. Simple tasks start to feel impossible. If you think you might be dealing with any depression in the midst of these circumstances, please tell someone in your LG.
How long shall my enemy be exalted over me?
The final question David asks how long will my enemy be exalted over me? How long will the bad guys be winning God?
Our current situation is pretty different as we have an invisible enemy of a virus and incredibly complex challenges of what is the wise thing to do in the face of this? But while our enemy isn’t a visible soldier, we can still relate to David’s sense of helplessness and vulnerability.
And if we looked at those two verses alone we would see that we are invited to take our questions, our doubts, our frustrations in their unbridled rawness straight to God. To wrestle with Him. Like David we have plenty of unanswered questions. And that by itself is a good encouragement.... But we wouldn’t have a lot of hope, and while some Psalms do end there, this one doesn’t.
In each set of two verses we’ll see David’s tone change as God’s presence and character moves more and more into focus.
Shifting Toward Reorienting
3 Consider and answer me, O Lord my God;
light up my eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death,
4 lest my enemy say, “I have prevailed over him,”
lest my foes rejoice because I am shaken.
David is still aware of the threat, but his tone has softened. The despair of the first two verses shifts towards the realization that God is his hope. The Lord he’s ranting at in vs. 1 becomes O Lord my God in v. 3. MY God. He’s remembering God is His and he is God’s. He’s starting to reorient. His petition is now for God to consider and answer and light up his eyes, so he doesn’t give in to death or despair.
The crisis hasn’t passed, but David’s outlook of the future now includes God’s presence.
This is a fundamental shift when we’re struggling the most. A Godless view is despair.
Trying to fight or hope in the face of a world entirely out of our control... that can only lead to despair… but as soon as we remember God is not out of control, He’s not praying for wisdom or strength because He doesn’t lack either… our view shifts.
We can still admit the situation is large but with the perspective that it isn’t larger than God or His purposes. And just as David goes from questioning to reorienting, so likewise, it's not enough to stay stuck in questioning mode. there comes a point where we like David must begin to ground ourselves back to who God is.
In the final 2 verses, David reorients fully back to trust and gratitude.
Remember and Rejoice
5 But I have trusted in your steadfast love;
my heart shall rejoice in your salvation.
6 I will sing to the Lord,
because he has dealt bountifully with me.
How did David move from the desperate, hopeless questioning in v. 1 and 2 to the trusting, rejoicing and singing 3 verses later?
God isn’t just in his view now. God has absorbed the whole picture. David’s focus has shifted primarily to God’s character; His steadfast love, His salvation… and David concludes, “The Lord has dealt bountifully with me.”
When I read this phrase dealt bountifully - I think about the phrase “more than enough”. The reality that what God has done for me and how He has treated me is already more than enough. Far more than I deserve.
If God never does anything else for me the rest of my life, what He’s already done is more than enough. If all the circumstances fall apart and this pandemic only gets worse forever, how God has loved me has already been more than enough. He’s already done more than enough to be worthy of my songs. Worthy of my trust. Worthy of rejoicing.
This is how Paul can say in Philippians he knows how to be content in any and all circumstances. God’s already given Him Christ and that is more than enough. This is why 1 Thessalonians calls us to rejoice always, pray continually and give thanks in all circumstances.
It’s not possible unless you know and remember dwell on the reality that He has already done more than enough.
I have no false promises for you. I do now know when or how our circumstances might change. I wish I did.
But I know God’s steadfast love for you. I know the cross and Jesus’ empty tomb is proof. And I know His salvation is more than enough.
Love ya’ll and praying for ya.