How Long?

Ps. 13:1, 2  How long, O Lord?  Will You forget me forever?  How long will You hide Your face from me?  How long shall I take counsel in my soul, having sorrow in my heart daily?  How long will my enemy be exalted over me?

Ever felt like God has forgotten you or at least turned His face away?  Ever felt like He didn't care or wasn't concerned about you?  Ever felt like the enemy was winning?  Well, you're in good company.  David felt the same way.  Here he asks God repeatedly, "How Long?".  How long are these trials and suffering going to continue?  Did You forget me?  Don't You care?  Why is the enemy winning?  A short time enduring trials and suffering can seem like an eternity.  Feelings of anxiety, desperation and hopelessness overwhelm us.  David expresses them here.

At some point in our lives, our circumstances can cause us to lose faith and ask the same questions borne out of our troubling situation that David did.  It is then, difficult as it is, that we must walk by faith and not by our sight or our feelings (2Cor. 5:7).

Remember when Peter was asked by Jesus to step out of the boat and come to Him?  It was only when Peter took his eyes of faith off of Jesus and looked at the stormy circumstances around him (Mt. 14:30) that he began to sink.  Jesus never lost sight of Peter.  Peter lost sight of Jesus.

David (v. 3) asked God to "enlighten his eyes".  To allow him to see by faith.  To see God even in the darkness of a storm.  God, enlighten our eyes, too.  May we never lose sight of You during our storm.

God will never forget us (Isa. 49:14-16, Mt. 28:20).  God cares for us (1Pet. 5:7).  And so long as we don't quit, we can and will overcome any circumstances or any enemy.  We are more than conquerors (Rom. 8:37).  In the midst of our storm of trials and suffering, we must keep our eyes of faith focused on the Author and the Finisher of it (Heb. 12:2).  No matter how long!


Sock Monkey Snippet:  Have focused faith not fearful feelings.