Studies in the Psalms - Psalm 13

Where is God? 

Psalm 13 asks the questions that so often are on the minds of Christians as they wrestle through the trials of this life.

Psalm 13:1-2

How long, O LORD? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me? How long must I take counsel in my soul and have sorrow in my heart all the day? How long shall my enemy be exalted over me?

Sometimes it seems as if God has left you alone. You pray and pray and you just don’t hear from God. David knew this feeling.

Psalm 13:3-4
Consider and answer me, O LORD my God; light up my eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death, lest my enemy say, “I have prevailed over him,” lest my foes rejoice because I am shaken.

David felt like he might die at the hands of the enemy. But the truth of it is this; God never leaves His people alone. The only thing that can separate us from God is unconfessed sin. But that solution is clear in the scriptures.

1 John 1:9
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Jesus died for all our sins. Past, present, and future, so there is no reason to not simply confess and repent. When we do that the blood of Christ covers us and God sees us as if we were just like Christ, holy and righteous. Not our righteousness, but His. This is what it means to be “in Christ.” To those who are His, Jesus promised He would never leave you.

Hebrews 13:5-6
Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” So we can confidently say, “The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?”

Though David did not have the New Testament to carry around with Him, he knew the truth and he knew he must live in faith.

Psalm 13:3-6
Consider and answer me, O LORD my God; light up my eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death, lest my enemy say, “I have prevailed over him,” lest my foes rejoice because I am shaken. But I have trusted in your steadfast love; my heart shall rejoice in your salvation.
I will sing to the LORD, because he has dealt bountifully with me.

Christians, you have the promises of God right there in your Bible. Promises like we just read in Hebrews that Jesus will never leave you. He sent His Holy Spirit to dwell right in your heart.

1 Corinthians 3:16
Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you?

Sometimes we think God is far away. We think He is not hearing our prayers. We think He is not answering them. In those times, do not let the Devil fool you. God is there. He gave you His Word. Sometimes He wants us to open our Bibles, pray for the Holy Spirit to reveal the things we need to hear and explain them, and then believe by faith that God’s Word is true and it never fails.

Paul explains it best in Romans 8:31-39

What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?  He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? As it is written, “For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.” No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers,
nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Feeling lost and alone? Do what David did when he felt that way.

Trust in His steadfast love. Rejoice in your salvation. Then sing to the Lord.

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Remember, nothing will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. Nothing.