Psalm 13:1-3, 5-6
How long, O Lord? Will you forget me for ever?
How long will you hide your face from me?
How long must I bear pain in my soul,
and have sorrow in my heart all day long?
How long shall my enemy be exalted over me?
...
But I 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.
This lament psalm is one that I often keep close because it speaks to such a human pain -- how long, O Lord, how long? Haven't we all prayed or cried some variation of these words to God? Can this situation go on forever?
What I often forget, however, is the way the psalm ends. The psalmist doesn't fall asleep in tears, doesn't stomp away angry, doesn't turn away from God. The whole psalm is a monologue to God, a prayer, and it ends with praise. The psalm ends with the acknowledgment of God's bounty, and perhaps more importantly, God's steadfast love. Let our hearts rejoice in the salvation of the Lord.
Peace,
Pastor Jenn
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