Psalm 13
A Bible Devotion from Psalm 13
How long O Lord? Will You forget me forever? .. . But I have trusted in Your mercy; my heart shall rejoice in Your salvation. I will sing to the Lord, because He has dealt bountifully with me.
Have you ever had one of those days when it seemed as though your prayers just bounced off the ceiling? I think perhaps that is the way David felt in this Psalm. In verses 1 and 2, David pours out his heart to God. He asks God, How long will you forget me? How long will You hide Your face from Me? How long shall I take counsel in my soul? How long will my enemy be exalted over me?
When our life seems to be turned upside down, we begin to wonder about our own salvation, or we wonder what sins we have committed to make God refuse to answer us. I think that is what David means by taking counsel in his soul.
While it is good to examine our own heart and soul in light of God's Word, that may not be the reason for God being distant from us. Many times God is testing us. What will you do now? And many times God wants to remind us that it is God who leads us and guides us each day. We are not in control of our own destiny, as the culture around us believes.
How did David do in response to God seeming to forget him? We see the answer in Psalm 13 verses 5 and 6. I have trusted in Your mercy; my heart shall rejoice in Your salvation. I will sing to the Lord, because He has dealt bountifully with me. This trust in God does not come later when everything is going well again, but this trust comes right in the midst of his grief and despair.
You see, it is easy to trust God when everything is going great, but how do we do when everything is going wrong? Paul says it this way in Philippians 4:6 and 7 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
Pray today that God will help you to walk in peace no matter what circumstances this day brings to you.
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from the Bible 
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