“How much longer?” Most of us who have had children can remember when they were younger they would cry out this complaint, often on a long drive. Adults, too, can cry out that lament, as no one likes to wait. There are situations that are much more serious than just waiting for the end of a long and boring drive, or even a long line at the store! Many of us have gone through, or are currently going through some troubles that seem to be lasting forever. There just doesn’t seem to be an end. We feel so discouraged and forgotten, even by God. That is the theme of today’s psalm. Let’s look into this Scripture and find some encouragement.
Psalm 13 is one of the many psalms that David wrote. It is quite evident as we read through the psalms that he wrote, and through both I and II Samuel, that David went through many, many trials and troubles. In his youth things seemed to be going well for him. As a youth, Samuel came and anointed him to be the future king. That is certainly a positive! Then he was called to come to court as a musician for King Saul. That would have been a nice plus on anyone’s resume. And then he was the one to bring down the giant enemy warrior Goliath with a stone and slingshot! Then things took a turn, and King Saul became insanely jealous of David. He spent many years trying to kill David, hunting him down, and David had to flee, living on the run, constantly in fear for his life. We might think that things would improve when he became king, but David had to flee his capital Jerusalem when his son Absalom orchestrated an ill-fated coup. It could have been any of these events which led David to compose this psalm.
David spent many years on the run from King Saul, and I think it is likely that the psalm was written then. For years Saul hounded David like a hunter chases after his prey. (I Samuel 26:20). Four times in the first two verses David cried out “How long”. This had been going on for so long that he was beginning to wonder if the Lord had forgotten about him, if He was hiding from him. Sometimes some problems that we have been dealing with seem to go on for so long that we might also think that God has forgotten about us, and our enemies will get the victory. So we cry with David, “How long, Lord?”
When believers have a period of time where they feel abandoned by God, where they question if He is there, or cares about them, some have called this the “dark night of the soul”. This was a term that was first used by St. John of the Cross (1542-1591) a Carmelite priest and monk. Other saints of God, such as St. Paul of the Cross (1694-1775), St. Therese of Lisieux (1873-1891), and St. Faustina Kowalska (1905-1938) are just some who have experienced such times in their faith. Like they did, we can trust that God’s love for us will never waver or change.
Often prolonged afflictions vex us, as well. We want sudden solutions. However, some things we face will not be fixed. They can only be borne. God wants us to engage with Him in our struggles He understands us as no one else can. When we’re waiting for God to resolve a difficult situation, it’s easy to get discouraged. Satan tells us that God has forgotten us and things will never change. We are tempted to give in to despair.
One of the purposes of the psalms is to show us how to honestly cry out in our pain, even when we feel forgotten and helpless. In Psalm 13, David goes from being on his face in misery (vs. 1-2), to being on his knees in prayer (vs. 3-4), to being on his feet rejoicing (vs. 5-6). David focused on all he knew of God’s love. He reminded himself of past blessings, and deliberately praised God, who he knew would not forget him.
Sufferings can persist, but like David, we can sing in the midst of our trials. David knew he was God’s child. God’s love stands when all else fails.
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