While We Wait, We Lament…and Trust -Psalm 13

While We Wait, We Lament…

and Trust 

Psalm 13

"Lighten our darkness, we beseech thee, O Lord!"

C.H. Spurgeon 

Waiting. It’s not usually an enjoyable process. Sometimes we wait with anticipation because we know the end result will be worth the wait. Other times, waiting is very difficult as we are left in ambiguity and uncertainty. Childlessness. Depression. Difficult marriage. Broken friendship. Financial straits. Chronic illness. Work related stress. These and many other circumstances can lead to discouragement as we look and wait for a better outcome. 

This discouragement can usher in depression or a “dark night of the soul.” This is described as “a crisis that comes when one senses the absence of God or gives rise to a feeling of abandonment by Him” (R.C.Sproul). How do we approach the Lord during these times? David wrote Psalm 13 to help guide us to trust in the Lord even while we wait and cry out to Him during our “dark night of the soul.”


How Long, O Lord?

13:1-2 “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? 

Let’s pray: 

▫️When we feel we have been forgotten by the Lord in our lengthy trial, we would rest in His promise, “I will not forget you” (Isaiah 49:15).

▫️When it seems He has hidden His face or removed His presence from us in our adversity, the Spirit would bring to our mind His unfailing faithfulness-“I will never leave you or forsake you.”

▫️While the waiting is long and discouraging, our strength would be renewed and our hope would rest sure on Him and His Word.

▫️In our sorrow and despair, the Lord would meet us. 

▫️When we feel there will be no answer to our cries for help, we would know our Good Shepherd will continue to lead us and comfort us.

▫️Our eyes would look to Jesus and consider the suffering He endured in order that we would not become weary and discouraged in our souls (Hebrews 12:3).


Consider and Answer

13:3-4 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. 

Let’s pray:

▫️The Lord would consider our groaning, tears, weeping, and discouragement and come to our aid.

▫️He would answer this request that has been on our heart for a lengthy time and that today would be the day we see His power on display.

▫️We would trust He is working even if we cannot see it with our eyes.

▫️The Lord would move in grace toward us and our situation and revive us.

▫️The Lord our God would illumine our darkness (Psalm 18:28).

▫️Our enemy would not rejoice over us but we would confidently say, “though I fall, I will rise. Though I dwell in darkness, the Lord will be a light to me” (Micah 7:8).


He Has Dealt Bountifully

13:5-6 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.”

Let’s pray:

▫️We would trust in the Lord’s lovingkindness, compassion, tender mercy, and wisdom in our situation.

▫️We would cry out to the Lord, “I believe; help my unbelief!” (Mark 9:24)

▫️Our hearts would rejoice, sing, and be at rest because the Lord has dealt bountifully with us in times past and He will do it again.

▫️When we see His deliverance, we would give praise to Him. While we wait, we would still praise Him.

‭‭

May the Lord do exceedingly abundantly above all that we could ask or think, for His glory and our good. In Jesus’ name. Amen.


“Choosing to trust through lament requires that we rejoice without knowing how all the dots connect. We decide to let God be his own interpreter, trusting that somehow his gracious plan is being worked out—even if we can’t see it.”

— Dark Clouds, Deep Mercy: Discovering the Grace of Lament by Mark Vroegop


Psalm 13 quoted from ESV

Photo credit jontyson

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