First posted to: https://surehopecounseling.com/from-anguish-to-praise-navigating-emotions-in-the-psalms/
Psalm 13 and 109: How Long, O Lord? Wrestling with Delayed Answers and Deliverance from Distress
“How long, O Lord?” is a question I am sure almost everybody has asked at some point in their lives. Maybe the question for you is:
How long must I deal with this relational hurt?
Have you forgotten about me Jesus? Do you still see me?
How long must I wait for the next job opportunity?
How long must I wait to be in a relationship?
How long will I feel depressed and will I ever get out of this funk?
Maybe something has come back that you thought was over or things were getting better but you have to go through it or something similar again. Whatever your question is today, sometimes it is hard to wait on the Lord. Sure, we cannot just sit back and do nothing with our lives, but you also were not made to go through this life alone and be idle. He wants to carry life’s hardships with you. In Psalm 13, David is wrestling with the Lord, even becoming impatient with him as he struggles waiting in the midst of hardship. David, known to be a mighty warrior, a “man after God’s own heart,” or someone you could say knows how to work through his external problems, but what happens when he has to look internally and wrestle with his mind and his thoughts? It can get exhausting navigating depression, low self-esteem, and feelings of loneliness or whatever you are currently going through over and over again. Just because you’re wrestling with something doesn’t mean something is wrong with you.
David doesn’t know what to do or where to go, but as the chapter wraps up in verses 5 and 6, he re-establishes that he has “trusted in his steadfast love,” he chooses to rejoice in his salvation, sings praises to the Lord “because he has dealt bountifully with me”. How many of you know praising Him in the midst of uncertainty can be a trajectory shifter? Fast forward to Psalms 107, verses 6, 13, 19, and 28 all say “Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble and he delivered them from their distress.” Four different times in the chapter this statement is repeated. Sometimes those nights, where you are on your knees crying, screaming, even begging the Lord for hope, it can be found even in the midst of your darkest and hardest places, and he can deliver you from your distress. Because whatever is weighing you down or causing you to be weak, picture the Lord saying to you, “I’m strong, I’ve got you child. Keep on doing the best you can. Cast your burdens unto me, for I deeply care about you. You don’t have to do this on your own. I’ve got you child, cry unto me. I am your rock and your comfort. Whatever you have need of, I will provide. I’ve got you child, lean on me, I am your firm foundation and I am so proud of you. I’ve got you child. I love you, and trust me, nothing can separate you from my unfailing love. I long to make your life a glorious adventure, but you must stop clinging to old ways. I’ve got you child.”
Without a doubt, the Lord walks with you everywhere you go and there is nothing you can do that would ever make him not receive you with loving open arms. You are so valuable, needed, and wanted here on this earth. God has so much more for you than the current heavy cloudiness that it feels like it’s all you can see right now. You can get through this. You will get through this. There will be joy in the morning. And eventually, you will learn to be able to walk in the confidence that the Lord has declared victory over everything you have faced, are currently facing, and will face in the future. What a beautiful God we get to serve.
-Zion Selent – Learn more about working with Zion here!
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