Psalm 13: 1 – 6
Are You hiding from me?
1 How long, O LORD? Will You forget me forever? How long will You hide Your face from me? 2 How long shall I take counsel in my soul, having sorrow in my heart daily? How long will my enemy be exalted over me? 3 Consider and hear me, O LORD my God; Enlighten my eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death; 4 Lest my enemy say, “I have prevailed against him”; Lest those who trouble me rejoice when I am moved. 5 But I have trusted in Your mercy; My heart shall rejoice in Your salvation. 6 I will sing to the LORD, because He has dealt bountifully with me.
In our lives we came to a time when things were too much for us to bear. We called upon our Holy God for help and since we did not get an instant response from Him disappointment was added to our panic. Our prayers seemed to be of no benefit from our Holy God. Was He ignoring us or hiding from us. What is He silent in coming to our rescue. In truth, though, our Holy Lord God Is not silent toward us. What looks like silence and inactivity to us is God allowing us the opportunity to listen to the ‘still small voice’ and wait and see His provisions. In Psalm 46 verse 10 He tells us, “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!”
The prophet Isaiah teaches us in his book chapter 55 more about our Holy Master, “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways,” says the LORD. 9 “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts. 10 “For as the rain comes down, and the snow from heaven, and do not return there, but water the earth, and make it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower and bread to the eater, 11 So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; t shall not return to Me void, but it shall accomplish what I please, and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.”
In truth we can never figure our way out of or over things. We tend to mess up most of the time. However, but just trusting our Great and Loving Holy Lord to deal with our problems we can look at what He did and always recognize that it was the best solution.
I find it very interesting as I look at certain scripture I wind up in some way experiencing what I am reading. Does it happen to you? For example, just today a brother came up to me with a book and asked me my opinion of it. He is counseling this heartbroken guy whose wife is committing adultery and wanted to give this guy something to read to encourage him.
Some people have labeled me a white-collar guy with a blue collar disposition. In counseling I like to say to couples or individuals that I can give them my opinion in one of two ways. I can sugar coat my observation or I can tell them ‘straight up’ that is the truth, in what I see as the problem. Most people faced with this choice opt for the truth.
My answer to this caring counselor is that I thought the book was garbage. I told him that I have come to see that most books are just a waste of time for Christians. I told him that many books are like astrology. In them you can find something that may hit home. I said that the one book I would give to this hurting brother is to stay in his bible and read the Psalms. Many of the emotional trials we experience was also dealt with by those who penned the Psalms. We all know the Scripture reference listed in the book of Hebrews chapter 4, “For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” The Word of God is the surgical instrument which we need to surgically correct us.
What I love about the Psalms is that they normally begin with some painful experience and ends with praise to the One Who Is in control of everything.
I know you will see my point exactly as we look at this wonderful Word of God.
As often with the Psalms this is the cry of someone in dire trouble. It would fit many periods in David’s life, but it would also fit the same in many of his godly successors. It would also fit Israel at various times. In the end it is a message that sometimes fits us all. And that is the genius of the Psalms. They apply to the psalmist, they apply to those who sing the psalms, and they apply to all who read them today. But the psalm also ends on a note of confident assurance. The psalmist refuses to believe that our Father God will leave him in his distress.
1 How long, O LORD? Will You forget me forever? How long will You hide Your face from me? 2 How long shall I take counsel in my soul, having sorrow in my heart daily? How long will my enemy be exalted over me?
In my distress even though I know the Goodness, Faithfulness, Mercy, and Grace of our Holy Master, I think that with all the people in the world somehow, He Is so busy that He does not or will not help me. This is sinful thinking. I forget to ponder that He Is All Knowing; All Power; and always All Present. I forget just how Big my Holy God Is.
I can relate to the psalmist, who has been at prayer over his problems but feels that his prayers are unanswered, and that Adoni Yahweh has forgotten him, and has hidden His face from him, and he does not know why. It almost feels to him as though it is going to be forever, and yet he does not really think so, for he asks how much longer he must wait.
He is puzzled and wants to know how long this is to go on. His thoughts within him are in turmoil, his heart is filled with sorrow, and the reason is because his enemy seems to triumph. It seems as if the enemy is always winning.
Now here is a question to ponder. When are you most overwhelmed with the issues of life? For most I would venture to guess it is the evening. We see that the one writing this Psalm has problems during the day time. -‘How long shall I take counsel in my soul, having sorrow in my heart by day?’ Doesn’t this guy work for a living?
The problem is such that it requires much thought during each day. He had little to fear at night. This may suggest such a time as when David was hiding in the mountains which he and his men knew well. Saul would not dare seek him at night for he did not himself know the terrain. But once day came he pursued David with a vengeance, prompting David to constant use of his mind, and counsel from others, to avoid him.
This might well fit David when his controversy with Saul had been going on for some long time, when the searches were constant, and he was beginning to feel that it would never end. It would fit any ruler who was being hard pressed by enemies in such a situation. It fits any who have a private enemy and feel that they are experiencing constant persecution and defeat in one way or another. It is a reminder of those times when God tests us by not responding immediately, so that we might learn to trust Him ‘in the dark’
But in its own way it is also a cry of faith. The psalmist cannot believe that God can leave him in this situation for much longer. He is confident that at some stage God will act. But the question is, when?
How often we too might find ourselves in such a situation, and then we too must have the confidence that in the end God will act on our behalf.
3 Consider and hear me, O LORD my God; Enlighten my eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death; 4 Lest my enemy say, “I have prevailed against him”; Lest those who trouble me rejoice when I am moved.
Yet the situation is getting desperate. He pleads for Almighty God to consider his case and deal with it. He is very much aware that death may not be far away, so the situation is serious. And he prays that his enemy might not triumph over him simply because he himself is in despair and becomes careless or uncaring. He does not want him to be able to gloat over his removal. This could again well fit David’s problems with Saul. But it could also have in mind any continual dangerous threat against a ruler.
In most cases we do not fear for the loss of our lives. However, in many cases it feels like this is happening. It may be some love that has left you like the one I spoke about. It may be a boss who is a bully and you fear losing your job. With the economy being so bad you think that you will never be able to be hired again. The list goes on and on.
Look again at the words - ‘Consider, answer me.’ He urgently presses our Holy Dad to look at the situation and respond. Let him no longer forget him and hide His face from him. For it is a genuine response that he desires, not just comfort.
To me it is amazing that these words were written thousands of years ago. However, the intelligence and proper speech is better than what we read today. Take a look at these words - ‘Lighten my eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death.’ The light in the eye can reveal the situation of the soul. He is weary of what he is facing. He feels that life is going from him. He wants our Holy Maker to lift him from his state of resignation and imbue him with life, (which indicates that he already feels half dead), and to bring new light to his eyes so that he is again confident and again looks for and receives positive response. He like me wants to see firsthand God’s Personal and direct response to his pleading.
5 But I have trusted in Your mercy; My heart shall rejoice in Your salvation. 6 I will sing to the LORD, because He has dealt bountifully with me.
Here is the reason I inform people to just stay in God’s Word and no other sources. Look at how the psalmist finishes on a note of assurance. In the darkness he finds light. He reminds The One Who Is in total control that he is trusting to His covenant love. That is what the covenant is all about, that our Holy Maker will act on behalf of those who are faithful towards Him. So, he anticipates deliverance, and that he will again sing to the only real and living God, because he expects Him to deal bountifully towards him, indeed know that He must do so for He has chosen him as His own. For he who believes in God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him which we know as truth from the book of Hebrews chapter 11 verse 6. So in the end his despair vanishes in the renewed faith that his prayer has revived.
I want to leave with you two Psalms that I want you to memorize. These two Psalms give us the reason why our Holy Lord allows all these hardships to come into our lives. If you remember them then you will always know everything no matter what is okay.
. 2 Kings 17: 39, “But the LORD your God you shall fear; and He will deliver you from the hand of all your enemies.”
. Psalm 50: 15, “Call upon Me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify Me.”
When things are going well we tend to forget about our Holy Loving God. However, to get our attention that we are forgetting about Him the difficulties come into our lives. Then we cry out to Him. In a way His response might be, “Oh, it’s glad to hear from you again.’ He lets us know that He was not hiding from us but has been there right with us all the time. If you are a parent, then you can see how this is applicable in our lives. When you have a baby almost all parents keep the baby in their bedroom. However, as the child starts to grow the parents know that it is time to move the child into his or her own room. The baby does not like this and he will let the parents know of his or her displeasure. But in love and in the best interest of the baby the parents place the child in his or her own room yet remain in the hallway waiting for the child to calm down. They know that this is the best thing for the child but as a loving parent they stand nearby to rush back in to the room if the baby needs help. This my friends is what our Great, Holy, and Mighty God does for us as it seems that He Is hiding from us. No, He wants us to grow. What a Great Father God we have.
