Daily Scripture: Psalm 13:(0) For the leader. A psalm of David:
2 (1) How long, Adonai?
Will you forget me forever?
How long will you hide your face from me?
3 (2) How long must I keep asking myself what to do,
with sorrow in my heart every day?
How long must my enemy dominate me?
4 (3) Look, and answer me, Adonai my God!
Give light to my eyes, or I will sleep the sleep of death.
5 (4) Then my enemy would say, “I was able to beat him”;
and my adversaries would rejoice at my downfall.
6 (5) But I trust in your grace,
my heart rejoices as you bring me to safety.
(6) I will sing to Adonai, because he gives me
even more than I need.
Reflection Questions:While most of the other parts of the Bible show God speaking to people, the Psalms show us people speaking to God. Scholars tell us that about one-third of the Psalms are “laments,” of which Psalm 13 is a hauntingly beautiful example. Our journey with God is not an escape from human life, in which sadness and the fear of danger play such a prominent role. But instead of trying to bear them alone, the psalmist trustingly took those worries to God.
- When have you felt so much pain or frustration that you have wanted to ask God, “How long will you forget me, Lord? Forever?” Has it ever felt to you, as people sometimes express it, that your prayers get no higher than the ceiling? What enemy or enemies (whether human foes or other issues like disease) have you had to face, sometimes with patience, wondering where God’s power is?
- If you are waiting for some response from God today, in what ways can you sustain the patience and trust that verses 5-6 expressed in God’s unfailing love as you wait? Verse 5 used the same Hebrew verb to express how “my heart” would rejoice in God’s salvation that verse 4 used about “foes” rejoicing over me. When have you had the chance to “sing to the Lord” after coming out of a difficult time—or even during that time?
Lord God, the psalmist knew that you don’t turn away from me even when my heart asks, “How long?” Thank you that your faithful love is always with me, even if at times I’m struggling to see it. Amen.
Insights from Kari Burgess
Unfortunately, family travel plans made it impossible for Roberta Lyle to write for this Labor Day. Instead, we reprint a post that Kari Burgess wrote for April 15, 2015. Kari is a Program Director for the Catalyst team, handling promotion and marketing for all of the conferences held at Resurrection, as well as registration and coordinating hospitality volunteers.
Have you ever prayed the Psalms? I read somewhere (likely on a GPS Insight written by a fellow blogger) that if you don’t know what to pray, pray the Psalms. I’ve done this here and there on occasion, but I’ve got to tell you that Psalm 13 is going to be my new “go-to prayer” in times of distress.
There are things in my life that I have suffered through and struggled with, and at times it has seemed like God is nowhere near. Verse 2 especially strikes a chord with me. “How long must I wrestle with my thoughts?” Oh yes, those nights tossing and turning in bed with the same worry, pain, frustration that I just can’t seem to work out in the dark of night. I’ve spent nights like this, only to have things become clear in the light of day.
On nights like these, I should be turning to Psalm 13 for comfort and direction. Lamenting to God: How long must I wait for you to deliver me? But then remembering to pray Verses 5-6: “But I trust in You and Your unfailing love.” For the answer to suffering is to trust that God is in fact near and walking with us through difficult times.
As I read Psalm 13 today, my mind immediately went to a familiar song from my favorite band of all time: U2. Their song entitled “40” is based on Psalm 40 and the chorus says: “I will sing, sing a new song. I will sing, sing a new song. How long, to sing this song? How long? How long, how long, to sing this song?”
I have erroneously thought for the last 25 or so years that this song was like Psalm 13, a lament or a complaint to God. How long must I suffer before You hear me, before You intervene, before You answer my prayer? But it is actually a song of praise, when you take time to listen to the verse. (This is my problem with music. I can sing the chorus, but never really know the verses and have no idea what a song is really about. You would think I would know more about a song by my favorite band of all time.)
Psalm 40: 1-3 (and U2’s Bono) says:
“I waited patiently for the Lord; he turned to me and heard my cry. He brought me up out of the pit, out of the miry clay; he set my feet upon a rock and gave me a firm place to stand. He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God.”
The next time I am wrestling with a problem in the middle of the night with seemingly no way out, I plan to pray Psalm 13. I will pray it over and over until I believe in my heart the last two verses: “But I trust in your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation.” Then maybe I’ll pull up U2’s “40” on my play list and sing a new song. One of grateful praise. I hope you will join me.
Download the GPS App
The United Methodist Church of the Resurrection
13720 Roe Avenue
Have you ever prayed the Psalms? I read somewhere (likely on a GPS Insight written by a fellow blogger) that if you don’t know what to pray, pray the Psalms. I’ve done this here and there on occasion, but I’ve got to tell you that Psalm 13 is going to be my new “go-to prayer” in times of distress.
There are things in my life that I have suffered through and struggled with, and at times it has seemed like God is nowhere near. Verse 2 especially strikes a chord with me. “How long must I wrestle with my thoughts?” Oh yes, those nights tossing and turning in bed with the same worry, pain, frustration that I just can’t seem to work out in the dark of night. I’ve spent nights like this, only to have things become clear in the light of day.
On nights like these, I should be turning to Psalm 13 for comfort and direction. Lamenting to God: How long must I wait for you to deliver me? But then remembering to pray Verses 5-6: “But I trust in You and Your unfailing love.” For the answer to suffering is to trust that God is in fact near and walking with us through difficult times.
As I read Psalm 13 today, my mind immediately went to a familiar song from my favorite band of all time: U2. Their song entitled “40” is based on Psalm 40 and the chorus says: “I will sing, sing a new song. I will sing, sing a new song. How long, to sing this song? How long? How long, how long, to sing this song?”
I have erroneously thought for the last 25 or so years that this song was like Psalm 13, a lament or a complaint to God. How long must I suffer before You hear me, before You intervene, before You answer my prayer? But it is actually a song of praise, when you take time to listen to the verse. (This is my problem with music. I can sing the chorus, but never really know the verses and have no idea what a song is really about. You would think I would know more about a song by my favorite band of all time.)
Psalm 40: 1-3 (and U2’s Bono) says:
“I waited patiently for the Lord; he turned to me and heard my cry. He brought me up out of the pit, out of the miry clay; he set my feet upon a rock and gave me a firm place to stand. He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God.”
The next time I am wrestling with a problem in the middle of the night with seemingly no way out, I plan to pray Psalm 13. I will pray it over and over until I believe in my heart the last two verses: “But I trust in your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation.” Then maybe I’ll pull up U2’s “40” on my play list and sing a new song. One of grateful praise. I hope you will join me.
Download the GPS App
The United Methodist Church of the Resurrection
13720 Roe Avenue
Leawood, Kansas 66224 United States
913.897.0120
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