Psalms 13

Psalm 13

How Long, O LORD?

    To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David.

 ¹ 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.

I think here we see David feeling God has abandoned him. I think that God will sometimes, not really abandon us, but let us fend for ourselves for a time. In those times, i think we really discover how dependent we are on God and how we can't do this life right without Him. David is so emotional through all of the psalms that he wrote. So many ups and downs. I feel as though God probably didn't leave him alone for very long, before he started to freak out.

David is feeling the pressure of being alone. He thinks his enemies are constantly  watching over him, waiting to attack. He feels like he is only safe in his home by himself. In verse 3, David pleads with God, "Consider and answer me, O LORD my God. Light up my eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death." David would rather be dead than feel this separation from God. He would prefer his enemies to have defeated him than feel the emptiness he is feeling. But through all of the trials David had endured, he stayed to God and his faith. Verses 5-6 say, "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." He still trusts that God will show Himself to him. David knows that even though he doesn't feel God with him at that moment, he knows that God is still there because of His many blessings in David's life. 

I feel we can learn so much from David in his psalms. We see an honest man seeking to much the kingdom of God, but he feels God has left him for dead. But just like us, even when we feel that God isn't there, we have a hope that He still is. That hope is what gives us that feeling that He truly is there. God will not forsake us, but He may give us up to our flesh for a time. In my life, there are times when I feel as though God has left me to just starve out in the world. But I find so much comfort in knowing that my god is a god that will not ever leave me to die.