Christianity Oasis Forum

[cimi]

October 19
Saturday


HOW LONG?

READ:
Psalm 13
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How long, O LORD
Will You forget me
forever? __Psalm 13:1
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For 9 long years, Saul hounded David as "one hunts a partridge in the mountains" (1 Sam. 26:20). "How long, O LORD? Will You forget me forever? David prayed. "How long will You hide Your face from me?...How long will my enemy be exalted over me?" (Ps. 13:1-2).

Prolonged affliction often vexes us as well. We want a sudden solution, a quick fix. But some things can't be fixed. They can only be borne.

But we can complain to God in our troubles. We have a heavenly Father who wants us to engage with Him in our struggles. he understands His children as no one else can.

When we turn to Him with our complaints, we come to our senses. In David's case, his thoughts went back to life's certainty: God's love. David reminded himself: "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" (vv.5-5). Sufferings may persist, but David could sing in the midst of his trials, for he was God's beloved child. That's all he needed to know.

A. W. Thorold writes, "The highest pinnacle of the spiritual life is not happy joy in unbroken sunshine, but absolute and undoubting trust in the love of God."

Even in our troubles, God's love can be trusted. __David Roper

``````````````````O yes, He cares; I know He cares,````````````````````
`````````````````His heart is touched with my grief;````````````````````
``````````When the days are weary, the long nights dreary,```````````````
````````````````I know my Savior cares! __Graeff``````````````````````
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God's love stands when all else fail.

*******************Today's Bible Reading __ Psalm 13**********************

1 How long, O LORD? Will
You forget me forever?
How long will You hide
Your face from me? 2 How
long shall I take counsel in
my soul, having sorrow in
my heart daily? How long
will my enemy be exalted
over me?

3 Consider and hear me,
o LORD my God; enlighten
my eyes, lest I sleep the
sleep of death; 4 lest my
enemy say, "I have
prevailed against him"; lest
those who trouble me
rejoice when I am moved.

5 But I have trusted in
Your mercy; my heart shall
rejoice in Your salvation.

6 I will sing to the LORD,
because He has dealt
bountifully with me.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>INSIGHT<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

Today's reading reminds believers that we are not alone in our
experiences of faith and doubt. In verses 1-2, David asks "how
long" God will wait before responding to his prayer. Then, in verses
3-4, we read David's plea for Yahweh to "consider and hear" his
petition. A divine response will "enlighten [his] eyes." Yet despite
his struggles with doubt, the psalmist exercises what faith he has
by saying to God, "but I have trusted" (vv.5-6). despite his external
circumstances, the psalmist's reaffirmation of God's loving-kindness
prompts him to praise God for His divine salvation and care. All
believers struggle with circumstances that can foster either faith or
doubt, but as we persevere we see that God is faithful.