Verse: Psalm 13
How long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever?
How long will you hide your face from me?
2 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?

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.

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.

Devotion
Have you ever felt like David,  the author of this Psalm? Have you ever felt abandoned by God? Or like he is far away and not caring about you? Have you ever felt disconnected from him, alone, frustrated, and spiritually dry?

This is one of the great gifts of the wisdom literature in the Bible: the honesty of the authors who deal with believing in a good God while living in an evil world.

How amazing is it that we have sacred words written for us that give us permission to have these deep and heart-wrenching feelings? The first devotional thought for today is this: we can be honest (brutally honest) with God. “Will you forget me forever?” That’s pretty honest. That’s not David trying to be respectful. He’s in pain. He seems angry. And he needs to vent. Do you ever need to do that? The amazing thing is that God can handle these honest emotions.

The second devotional thought is noticing how David, even in the midst of his pain, remembers who God is. God isn’t his enemy in all this. He remembers that God’s love is steadfast and faithful. He remembers that God is generous and bountiful. Even in his pain, as he reflects on who God is, he begins to rejoice and even sing!!

Now, I’m not saying we need to start singing in our hardest moments. But as Christians, we do have a hope and a confidence that goes beyond the desperation of the pain of this world. We have a deeper understanding that in the end all will be made right. We know that in the end God will heal every broken heart. And more than that, we know that right now God is with us, walking with us in our hardest times, healing us, comforting us, and leading us into salvation and life.

Today, I wonder what areas of your life might have you feeling like the first few verses. Take a moment to honestly express your situation to God. And then, if you can, ask the Lord to help you see this hard time through the lens of his unfailing love and goodness in your life. How could God be helping you right now, even in this hard time?

Prayer
Jesus, I need you right now. I need you to walk with me, strengthen me, and comfort me. This is too much for me to handle on my own. Please come near to me.

Author: Christian Dunn