Read Psalm 13. 1How long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me? 2How 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? 3Consider and answer me, O Lord my God; light up my eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death, 4lest my enemy say, “I have prevailed over him,” lest my foes rejoice because I am shaken. 5But I have trusted in your steadfast love; my heart shall rejoice in your salvation. 6I will sing to the Lord, because he has dealt bountifully with me.
Four times David asks God the question “how long?” The four questions reveal how he is relating to God, to himself, and to his enemies. Clearly God has forgotten David. He has hidden his face, his presence, from the anointed king. Or at least that’s how David feels.
Have you ever felt this way? Have you ever struggled with the hiddenness of God, especially when you have stumbled and fallen? When your spiritual enemies are boasting about prevailing over you? Yes, I have too.
At the end of the day the choice is yours to make. Trust in God’s steadfast love or don’t. The enemy can’t make that choice for you. The enemy can’t prevent your choice to rejoice in your salvation. Satan can’t stop you from singing to the Lord, only YOU can.
But how do we move from the darkness of the hiddenness of God to the light of the bounty of God? How do we see God as supplying everything we need rather than as the God who has forgotten us? We fix our eyes on the cross of Christ.
At the cross the Father “forgot” Jesus and hid his face away from his Son. Why? So that you and I might forever receive his steadfast love and salvation – the indwelling life and love of Jesus.
To live is Christ means never being forgotten by God, and always being bountifully supplied by his steadfast love and faithfulness.
You: Do you ever feel like God is hiding from you?
You in Christ: How does your union with Christ answer your personal “How long?” questions?
Christ in you: How can you keep your eyes fixed on the cross today?
Pray: Father, sometimes it feels like you are hiding from me. Keep reminding me that Jesus died so that I would never be forsaken and never overcome by the Enemy. Amen.
To Live is Christ 