Dwelling on a Psalm

The Psalms are an ancient Hymnal. God’s people have always needed to respond to him with their hopes and their fears. It is important that we recognize that expressing our hopes and fears to God is not something we do to MOVE US toward worship, it is actually worship in itself.

God is our creator who longs for intimacy with his people. In order to get there, it takes honesty.

Read the words of this Psalm:

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.
(Psalm 13:1-6 ESV)

The author starts out by crying out to God in frustration for his pain. He then moves on to demanding that God answer him, and he ends by remembering God’s faithfulness in years past to him.

Don’t ignore your pain or pretend it away. Take it to your maker and allow his presence to remind you that despite your circumstances, he loves you.