How long, O Lord?

There are times in my life when I just can’t help myself from praising God because of His goodness displayed in my situation. When He answers my impossible prayers, I praise God. When He gives the desire of my heart, I praise Him. When He makes my path clear and helps me carry out my plans, I praise Him. Whenever I feel Him working mightily in my life, I am in awe of Him and my lips utter beautiful words coming from my heart.

But there are also these times when I can’t find God anywhere. I can’t feel His presence. My prayers seems like they are just bouncing off my ceiling. No one in heaven notices my cries. My heart can hardly speak anymore because of tiredness of calling out to God. Problems are unusual. Even if I believe and expect for something, nothing happens and I can’t help myself from being discouraged to pray to Him. After all, no one listens to me. Time passes by very slowly. Waiting for God to respond is like a person waiting for a loved one who is in war to respond to his letter, without assurance when the soldier will be able to reply or if he will ever reply. It seems like forever, and you do not understand why He is allowing those things to happen to you – in a very long excruciating period of time. When David experienced this, this is what he said to God:

Psalm 13

(v1) How long, O Lord?  Will you forget me forever?

 How long will you hide your face from me?

(v2) How long must I take counsel in my soul and have sorrow in my heart all the day?

How long shall my enemies be exalted over me?

Sometimes, when this happens to me, I have the tendency to complain to God in anger, forgetting who He is, and as if the whole solar system revolves around me and my problems. But David knew his place, that he is just a servant needing the grace of a mighty God.

(v3) Consider and answer me, O Lord my God

              Light up my eyes lest I sleep the sleep of death

Even in his sorrow, He did not shrink back from his faith. Even if every time he prays and God does not answer him, he does not get disappointed. He does not feel discouraged. He knows who his God is so His confidence in God did not cease. Even if there is a possibility of God not answering him again next time , he still is faithful to pray to God, and he was sure that amidst the long period of drought, maybe this time God will answer him finally.

(v5) But I have trusted in Your steadfast love;

             My heart shall rejoice in Your salvation

(v6) I will sing to the Lord, because He has dealt bountifully with me.

He remained faithful to Him, because he knows that the One who is with him is more than faithful. :)