May 30, 2007
How Long?
READ: Psalm 13
How long, O Lord? Will You forget me forever? How long will You hide Your face from me? —Psalm 13:1
My friends Bob and Delores understand what it means to wait for answers—answers that never seem to come. When their son Jason and future daughter-in-law Lindsay were murdered in August 2004, a national manhunt was undertaken to find the killer and bring him to justice. After 2 years of prayer and pursuit, there were still no tangible answers to the painful questions the two hurting families wrestled with. There was only silence.
In such times, we are vulnerable to wrong assumptions and conclusions about life, about God, and about prayer. In Psalm 13, David wrestled with the problem of unanswered prayer. He questioned why the world was so dangerous and pleaded for answers from God.
It’s a hard psalm that David sang, and it seems to be one of frustration. Yet, in the end, his doubts and fears turned to trust. Why? Because the circumstances of our struggles cannot diminish the character of God and His care for His children. In verse 5, David turned a corner. From his heart he prayed, “But I have trusted in Your mercy; my heart shall rejoice in Your salvation.”
In the pain and struggle of living without answers, we can always find comfort in our heavenly Father.
Unanswered is our prayer,
But ours to wait for God’s own time—
To lift the cross we bear. —Anon.
