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How Long?

             How long, Lord? Will you forget me forever?  How long will you hide your face from me? How long must I wrestle with my thoughts and day after day have sorrow in my heart? How long will my enemy triumph over me? Look on me and answer, Lord my God. Give light to my eyes, or I will sleep in death, and my enemy will say, “I have overcome him, and my foes will rejoice when I fall. But I trust in your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation. I will sing the Lord’s praise, for he has been good to me. (Psalm 13)

This is the second psalm that has “How long…?” as a sort of chorus. This time, it’s there four times. How long…will You forget me…will you hide Your face from me…must I wrestle…and have sorrow…will my enemy triumph over me. Forgotten, neglected, struggling, and besieged. I have been in this psalm, sure that the pain would never end, that what I faced would last through all eternity. Rational? No, but pain doesn’t go away just because you say, “You’re silly and irrational.”

Half of the questions are direct accusations of God. The other half can be seen as the natural consequence of the first two.  Then he makes a demand (Give light to my eyes) and announces the consequences of God’s failure to do what he asks. None of this makes God look good. Despite this, David gets a grip. He acknowledges that God has been good to him in the past. He settles himself in the knowledge that things can and will change, but that God doesn’t.  David doesn’t understand. He doesn’t approve. But having given vent to enough emotional energy to regain some focus. Sometimes, that’s what we have to do, even if we can't see the good coming. 

Let's finish with an interesting exercise. As you consider your life, is there something about which you could say, "How Long, Lord?" Ask God about it? Write in your journal, or write a note to yourself, and pursue the subject with God, maybe even daily for a while. See what God does. If you don't see anything in your life, consider the lives of those around you. 


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