Psalm 13 - “How long?”
How long?
God, unlike irritated parents on a road trip after hours of relentless “How much longer” from the back seat, you seem to invite that question. Actually, it is so much more than a question, it’s a heart’s cry. Fifteen times in the Psalter, this question is asked of you. And four of those times are in this psalm alone.
For David, it’s not just that the road trip is taking so long, but he’s literally wondering if dad even knows where he’s going. And like a four-year-old who can’t take it anymore, he’s wondering if he’ll even survive this trip.
God, if I were honest, I don’t allow my heart to act like a four-year-old before you. So instead, I filter my prayers through a theology that tells me that God is sovereign, his timing is perfect; he will never leave or forsake me; he knows all, so of course, he will never forget me; he has a wonderful plan for my life…
God, David eventually gets there in verses 5-6. But for me, I just jump to verses 5 and 6 because I don’t like the valley of wondering why you are acting like you are. I don’t like the feeling of the unknown. I don’t like it when you aren’t answering my prayers. I don’t like it when you don’t take away the pain. And I don’t like the potential answer I may get if I ask you, “How long?” You might say, “We have just left, it will be another 12 hours.” Ugh.
But God, you invite me to be like a four-year-old. You want me to experience the valley so that I can genuinely experience my theology - and be able to declare with full-throttled praise (not just mental ascent) that, “you have truly dealt bountifully with me.”
Amen
God, unlike irritated parents on a road trip after hours of relentless “How much longer” from the back seat, you seem to invite that question. Actually, it is so much more than a question, it’s a heart’s cry. Fifteen times in the Psalter, this question is asked of you. And four of those times are in this psalm alone.
For David, it’s not just that the road trip is taking so long, but he’s literally wondering if dad even knows where he’s going. And like a four-year-old who can’t take it anymore, he’s wondering if he’ll even survive this trip.
God, if I were honest, I don’t allow my heart to act like a four-year-old before you. So instead, I filter my prayers through a theology that tells me that God is sovereign, his timing is perfect; he will never leave or forsake me; he knows all, so of course, he will never forget me; he has a wonderful plan for my life…
God, David eventually gets there in verses 5-6. But for me, I just jump to verses 5 and 6 because I don’t like the valley of wondering why you are acting like you are. I don’t like the feeling of the unknown. I don’t like it when you aren’t answering my prayers. I don’t like it when you don’t take away the pain. And I don’t like the potential answer I may get if I ask you, “How long?” You might say, “We have just left, it will be another 12 hours.” Ugh.
But God, you invite me to be like a four-year-old. You want me to experience the valley so that I can genuinely experience my theology - and be able to declare with full-throttled praise (not just mental ascent) that, “you have truly dealt bountifully with me.”
Amen
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