Psalm 13 – Trusting in God’s Unfailing Love

Psalms is such a good book to read at any time but is particularly so when we are struggling with life, whether that’s with a change in our circumstances, problems with our health, relationship difficulties, money worries or something else.

Before I go any further can I suggest that you make yourself a cup of tea or some other comforting drink, get yourself settled in a comfortable position and then take a moment to pause in God’s presence, be still and prepare your heart and mind to hear His voice.
 

Psalm 13(NLT)

O Lord, how long will you forget me? Forever?  
    How long will you look the other way?  
² How long must I struggle with anguish in my soul,  
    with sorrow in my heart every day?  
    How long will my enemy have the upper hand?  

³ Turn and answer me, O Lord my God!  
    Restore the sparkle to my eyes, or I will die.  
⁴ Don’t let my enemies gloat, saying, “We have defeated him!”  
    Don’t let them rejoice at my downfall.  

⁵ But I trust in your unfailing love.  
    I will rejoice because you have rescued me.  
⁶ I will sing to the Lord  
    because he is good to me.  

The verse I want us to focus and meditate on is v5:

“But I trust in your unfailing love. I will rejoice because you have rescued me.”

Sometimes it seems like God is never going to answer our cries for help. But going to God with our problems helps to put things back in perspective. Even if our circumstances don’t change, our attitude can. Talking with God reminds us that He is a good God.   

In the first two verses of this psalm, David cries out four times to God, “How long?” I so relate to this. ME, like so many long-term illnesses, has no definite end in sight. Nobody knows how long it will last or even if they will recover from it. In the early years after first being given the diagnosis of ME, I found it so hard to come to terms with. When would I get better? When would God heal me? Would God heal me? How long would I have to wait? There were, and are, no answers. It would have been so much easier had I known when my struggle would end as I could then count down the days and look forward to recovery. To not know from one day to the next how my health would be, was, and still is at times, frustrating. I could have a few good days and think this is it, I’m on the mend, only to take two steps backwards the following day, and again cry out to God, “How long?” 

Yet, during this time when I could not rely on my health; when I couldn’t trust my body to behave as I wanted it to, I learned God is the only one I can totally and completely rely on. He is the only one in whom I can place my trust, knowing He will never, ever let me down, even though my own body continues to let me down. 

Through it all, God has always shown me His love and He has always been good to me. He is the one I cling to when everything else (including my health) tells me differently. 

Each one of us can express to God exactly how we are feeling; we can cry out to Him in our anguish and pain.  

Perhaps you would like to pray the following prayer out loud:

Lord God, how long before you answer my prayers? How long will I have to wait for you to act? How long will this season last? Even so, I choose to trust in your unfailing love. I choose to rejoice and praise you because you are good. Amen.   

To Think About:

When has it felt as though God has turned His back on you or forgotten you? Does it feel like that now?  

Will you choose to trust Him even when you don’t receive the answers you are looking for?  

Read the Psalm again, perhaps in a different translation, ask God to draw your attention to a particular verse.  

Vicki Cottingham

Vicki Cottingham is an author, blogger and retreat leader. She also enjoys crocheting prayer shawls. She often waits on God for a nudge as to who would be blessed by receiving one. If you would like to connect with her or learn more about her, this is her website: vickicottingham.wordpress.com