Psalm 13

Read Psalm 13 here: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm+13&version=NIV

6 verses- it’s a shorty!

How long will you forget me God? What a rough prayer- like many others it’s a psalm of lament. It’s ok to come to God and be honest. God I feel I’ve been forgotten. How often do we feel that way? i don’t know how often I pray that prayer, but how long will you hide your face from me is one I’ve prayed often. There are years where it’s easy for me to see God. There’s years where it’s been hard. Fortunately this year has been easy. The most obvious one was at a friend’s funeral, Paul Maier’s. He was a big fan of youth ministry and unbeknownst to me- glow sticks and a former member of my church. He brought them on youth trips and gave them not only to his youth group but to other youth groups as well- he seemed to have an unlimited supply. This story was told at the funeral and everyone got one. A day later a member of our congregation who loves working libraries came in and cleaned up the church library. She found a package of glowsticks and gave them to my pastor who then asked me if they were mine. I said no I don’t recognize that package. There was a label printed from what looked like a home computer that said, “Lighten up care of Paul Maier” They had been in the church library for over 15 years. For the past 8 years I go in there every Sunday to grab my mike pack. Never noticed them. The day after his funeral they show up when they would have the most meaning ever? That’s nothing short of a miracle.

Now I can’t say those things happen often. I wish they did, but when they do I share them, cherish them like Mary did and count on them in the future. There are too many things where God showed up in a crazy way that would only make sense to me. I feel that’s how God works. He’s not a big show off. He’s a big fan of meeting us individually. That’s what Jesus did after the resurrection. He didn’t just sit in the grave and go ta-da! It’s a me Jesus- risen from the grave. No he lets the mystery unfold and goes to each person individually. Certainly they have faith together and he shows up at the upper room, but a true one on one relationship is so much deeper than anything you can do in a crowd.

This passage speaks to what sounds like depression.

How long must I wrestle with my thoughts
    and day after day have sorrow in my heart?
    How long will my enemy triumph over me?

³ Look on me and answer, Lord my God.
    Give light to my eyes, or I will sleep in death,
⁴ and my enemy will say, “I have overcome him,”
    and my foes will rejoice when I fall.

I think that’s a pretty accurate depiction of depression. The Bible speaks to it- many in scripture are depressed- David being one of them, Elijah and Job for sure. Not in the Bible but Martin Luther, a guy I sort of follow, was 100% depressed. Yet they still followed God and God chased after them. Being a follower of God doesn’t make you happy all the time. Jesus and a therapist is ok- necessary sometimes.

And it even speaks to how long will I have to stay in my house and edit worship videos? In a sense we’re all there now and stuck asking the question, “How long?” I do wonder the answer. I hope it’s soon.

We have a deep part of us that says, “There’s more to life than this right?” because we know this isn’t right. I think CS Lewis said something, “The fact that we all know the world isn’t the way it should be- points us to the fact that there must be another world.” I would argue that we were made for it. This yearning for God, this sense of loss that things are not as they should be- I believe is shared by God. I think the fall into sin made him depressed. He yearns for us to be complete in him because we are 100% lost without him.

Yet this psalm ends in hope- yep things stink right now, but I’m still going to sing. I will trust in you because you have been good to me. This is truth. God has been crazy good to me and blessed me in some insane ways. Even when I doubt and don’t feel his presence I know that much is true. Would you say the same?

Also have you found that singing God’s praises has helped you with depression before? I know music touches a lot of people spiritually in church and they’re missing that right now. I don’t know that music in particular has changed me that much. I would say it’s pretty rare, but a good praise song can change my mood. Thankfully though God speaks to all in different ways. He’s always speaking- but I know I rarely listen and my thoughts and feelings can often get in the way. The only way to sing his tune is to listen for him. I pray you do that today!