Sundays in Psalms: Feeling Forgotten?

 

PSALM 13

How long, Lord? Will you forget me forever?

    How long will you hide your face from me?  —Psalm 13:1 NIV

At 53, I was diagnosed with a chronic lung disease called Bronchiectasis, complicated by Mycobacterium avium complex (MAC Lung Disease). I was told, “You won’t die from this, but you will die with it.” Fifteen years later, I’ve managed to continue life ordinarily—at least to those outside my household. Only my husband sees how much I sleep and hears how much I cough. Only God knows how often I release similar prayers to the one David prayed in this psalm. We don’t know what sort of infirmity David suffered, but all of us can relate to his conviction that God has abandoned him. When we’re suffering from pain and fatigue, when we’ve prayed for healing but not received it, when we’re waiting for answers that do not come—it’s easy for our frail human emotions to fall into despair. And why shouldn’t we? If God ever truly did turn his back on us, despair would be the only appropriate response.

I’m so glad David, by his example, lets us know it’s okay to pour all this out to God when we’re feeling it. To deny those emotions would only drive us further from Him, because to challenge Him with “why” and “when” means that deep down, we know He’s still listening, regardless of how we feel. That’s how David can conclude this gut-wrenching psalm in victory, declaring that he will trust in God’s unfailing love and rejoice in His salvation. 

Faith Step: When you feel forgotten or abandoned by God, tell him exactly how you feel. He can handle all our sincere questions and challenges.

Sundays in the Psalms: One Simple Prayer that Could Change Everything

 PSALM 12

Everyone lies to their neighbor;
    they flatter with their lips
    but harbor deception in their hearts.

—Psalm 12:2 NIV

With the emergence of AI-generated images, videos, and words, one never knows what to believe anymore. “I saw it with my own eyes” doesn’t mean much. Anyone can be made to appear to be doing or saying almost anything. Disturbing, isn’t it? Yet how many of us are truly transparent? We are all selling ourselves in some way, whether it’s to push a product, win a greater following, or simply to follow the standards of acceptable social behavior and good manners.

Whenever I’m asked what super-power I’d pick if I could, I give the same answer: the ability to hear only truth. Think about it. If every lie were mute, so that the only thing we heard was the truth, how much greater would be our discernment, how easy our decision-making? Political promises would change. Children’s explanations would sound much different. Even the lies we tell ourselves would be silenced, opening the door for us to receive and believe what God says about us. We’d be healthier, happier, more productive people. What a gift! Thankfully, we have Jesus. He perfectly discerns truth from lies every time. He even called Himself “The Truth.” One of the things I like to pray, especially when walking into a difficult situation, is, “Lord, may only truth be spoken in this room today. Silence every lie before it becomes audible.” Imagine what could happen if every courtroom, government meeting, church, and home were bathed in that prayer.

 

Faith Step: Try praying the prayer given above next time you’re preparing for an important meeting where it may not be easy to discern truth. See what happens.

Sundays in Psalms: Is Your Foundation Crumbling?

 PSALM 11

When the foundations are being destroyed,
    what can the righteous do?

 The Lord is in his holy temple;
    the Lord is on his heavenly throne.
He observes everyone on earth;
    his eyes examine them.

—Psalm 11:3-4 NIV

During the American Civil War, so many people died or were left wounded, orphaned, widowed, or poor. Broken in a hundred different ways. Yet good came from it, and the country survived. As a Canadian, I wonder how the rest of the world viewed the United States during that time. Since they didn’t have access to instant news as we do, many likely had no idea what was going on. Or perhaps they were too busy trying to survive to care. Maybe slave owners in other counties watched carefully to see what would happen. If the North won, the emancipation of slaves might spread to their country as well. Their foundations were being threatened. Those who were enslaved, however, would look to the leadership of the Americans with hope. An entirely new life might be possible for them and their children!

Does it feel like your foundations are being destroyed—in your country, your church, or your family? When Christian leaders fall, does your faith fall with them? When your marriage is in trouble, does that mean your life is too? When your nation is feeling threatened by internal division and outside terrorism, does it feel like there is no place to run? God assures us in Psalm 11 that He is on His throne always. He sees and knows. He is the only One we can truly run to and count on, forever.

 Question for reflection: In what ways have I experienced God’s faithfulness and power, even when life’s foundations feel like they are crumbling?