Psalm 13

Feelings, Foes, and Faith…..Lamentation, Prayer, and Rejoicing!

David in all likelihood wrote this psalm in a dark period of his life. Although he had been promised the throne, Saul was pursing him to take his life. He first deals with his feelings in verse 1 and 2. He is in a state of lament as he feels God is distant and not at all concerned with his situation. Men, how often do we find ourselves in David’s shoes, feeling alone and distant from the Lord as we struggle with what seems to be the trials of a lifetime? We must not deny our feelings and pretend that everything is going well, and there is no sin in asking, "How long?" But at the same time, we must realize how deceptive our feelings are and that God is greater than our hearts and can lift us above the emotional storms of life.

David then transitions to a moment of prayer and request from the Lord as he focuses on his foes. His prayer to God first was to be considered as he felt the Lord was not looking on him and his situation. Second, his prayer was that God hear his words and send him some encouragement as he believed that he had be abandoned and that his prayers accomplished nothing! Men, have we all not been in this place at one time or another in our lives? I know I have! Thirdly, David prays for the Lord to give light to his eyes, that he could receive not only spiritual enlightenment, but also physical and emotional vitality and strength. In his prayer, he lastly asks the Lord to prevent his enemy and adversary from gloating over his sunken state. For the glory of God, he prayed that his enemies would not be able to claim victory, for it was God who appointed him to be king in the first place. If God has given us a promise, we must be like David, and understand it is not about us. We should pray that God’s glory would be the result of the outcome of our trial.

Finally, David centers his attention on the joy from Lord. He transitions from fear to faith, and from questioning to claiming God’s promises. While David’s feelings and emotions had been on a roller coaster, God was still on the throne and in control! His great character had not changed. David realized that God’s love was all that he needed because it never fails. We as God’s people never live on explanations; we live on promises, and those promises are as unchanging as the character of God. Even though David’s circumstances did not immediately change, the Lord changed him. That occurred when David stopped looking at his feelings and his foes, and by faith started looking to the Lord. None of us are exempt from lamentation, but if we pray and seek the Lord, we will no doubt be led to a place of joy only found in Him. Let’s be REAL Men like David, and encourage ourselves in the Lord when the storms of life begin to blow in our direction!

Dwight Chandler