How Long, Lord?

As a teenager, one of the reasons I didn’t believe in God was because I

didn’t think God cared about my individual struggles. There were people in

far worse situations who needed God’s help, so I didn’t think He cared

about me. It certainly didn’t feel like He listened to me when I tried

praying. There were times I would beg God for help, but I wouldn’t hear a

sound.

.

However, I found myself reading the psalms one day, and I came to Psalm 13.

As I read the first few verses, I had never related to something in the

Bible more in my life! The author, David, begins by saying, How long,

Lord? Will You forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me?

How long will I store up anxious concerns within me ? (verses 1-2).

.

It appeared as if David understood me. For the first time ever, I could

relate to someone in the Biblethat is, until I got to verses 5 and 6, when

David says, But I have trusted in your faithful love; my heart will

rejoice in your deliverance. I will sing to the Lord because he has treated

me generously. How could David go from agonizing over his struggles and

feeling like God wasn’t listening to trusting, rejoicing, and singing to

God?

.

As I read David’s words, I realized that, even though he had struggles like

me, David had a completely different relationship with God. He had a

completely different understanding of God than I did. After reading Psalm

13, I decided I needed to figure out if God really cared, if He could be

trusted, and see if I could gain the same understanding of God that David

did.

.

Years later, I would come to understand that God does hear our prayers and

He answers them all. However, it just isn’t always how or when we want Him

to answer them. But God always reveals Himself to those who seek Him (Psalm

9:10; Jeremiah 29:13). And He loves each one of us. He demonstrated this

love when JesusGod in fleshcame to live among us, die on the cross for

us, and rise from the dead so that we could live with Him forever. Because

God has shown us this unshakable love, we can trust Him with every prayer.

Even when it feels like God is silent, His actions speak volumes. Hunter

Taylor

.

David experienced a close relationship with God. Through putting our

trust in Jesus, we can start to have this kind of relationship with God too

(read more on our “Know Jesus” page). How might David’s story encourage us

to seek God for ourselves?

.

How long, Lord? Will you forget me forever? Psalm 13:1a (CSB)

Read Verses:

Psalm 13