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Psalms 13

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Verses 1-6, “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? Consider and hear me, O Lord my God; Enlighten my eyes, Lest I sleep the sleep of death; Lest my enemy say, 'I have prevailed against him'; Lest those who trouble me rejoice when I am moved. 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.”

In David's time of desperation, he asked God why He was hiding. Although we may feel like it at times, God does not hide from His children. It is precisely these desperate times that drive us straight to God (or at least they should), as we will see by the end of the psalm. In fact, God tells us to seek Him, and we will receive wisdom. James 1:5‭-‬8, “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.”

However, those who lack faith, should not expect to receive anything from God because they are not His children. A true child of God is marked by obedience to the Father, or the demonstration of genuine faith. If you do not obey the words of the Father, then you are illegitimate children. Your sins, including disobedience, will separate you from God and cause Him to hide His face from you. Isaiah 59:1‭-‬2, “Behold, the Lord ’s hand is not shortened, That it cannot save; Nor His ear heavy, That it cannot hear. But your iniquities have separated you from your God; And your sins have hidden His face from you, So that He will not hear.” 

We must keep in mind, that separation from God is our choice. It is not His heart to be separated from us. Listen to the words of God regarding the disobedient Jewish nation. Even in their sin, God's heart was to restore them, but they were simply unwilling.  Luke 13:34, “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, but you were not willing!”

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  1. SusanAugust 11, 2020 at 5:57 PM

    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? Consider and hear me, O Lord my God; Enlighten my eyes, Lest I sleep the sleep  of death; Lest my enemy say, “I have prevailed against him”; Lest those who trouble me rejoice when I am moved. 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. Psalms 13:1‭-‬6


    David thought as though God was hiding His face from him. However, these difficult times; times that are pressing upon us should bring us to God. It is easy to think we do not need God when things are easy. It is not so much God hiding His face, but rather we not seeking Him. However, when things get tough it should draw us to Him and He want us to go to Him.


    Sin could be the reason as to why it may feel as though God is Hiding His face from us. Many people's prayers are not heard because of their standing with God. We shouldn't think that are prayers would get heard if we are in complete rebellion towards God. If we find ourselves not being heard. We should repent and turn from our sin. 

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