Hi friends, How are you? I hope you are well. We are now at the last verse in Psalms 13. We have seen negative emotions in the first few verses. In Psalms 13:5 and now in Psalms 13:6, we see more happy and joyful emotions. Let’s ponder this verse as we wrap up our series on Psalms 13. Psalms 13:6 May be a Continuation of Psalms 13:5:
If we read Psalms 13:5 and Psalms 13:6, it is easy to see that they may go together. Psalms 13:6 may even be a continuation of Psalms 13:5. Let’s read them both together.
“But I have trusted in thy mercy; by heart shall rejoice in thy salvation. I will sing unto the LORD, because he hath dealt bountifully with me.” Psalms 13:5-6 (KJV) In the beginning of Psalms 13, we see a depiction of what it’s like when God seems far away and doesn’t seem to be listening to our prayers. The feelings were sad and desperate. Psalms 13:5 is the turning point in the psalm. The feeling isn’t that of sadness anymore. Psalms 13:5 seems to be a breakthrough in faith. After a time of feeling far from God, it seems to be a remembrance and acknowledgement that even though God has seem far before, He is trustworthy and gives us salvation. God is faithful in being a loving Father to us. He has mercy on us. Psalms 13:6 goes on from that remembrance and acknowledgement of God’s mercy, faithfulness, trustworthiness, and love. Psalms 13:6 shows what we can do when we feel that love, trust, faithfulness, and mercy. It shows what we can do when we acknowledge how much God does for us and when we rejoice in the salvation God gives us. We can sing! (Yes, even those who don’t carry a tune well can sing or at least make a joyful noise as we read in Psalms 100:1.) God Gives Us So Much:
It may not feel like it when we go through difficult times, but God gives us so much. He blesses us, gifts us things, provides for us, loves us, leads us, and so much more. It is no wonder that we are told to count our blessings, even when we are down. Even in the depths of our despair, God gives us so much. God offers us a multitude of both earthly blessings and heavenly blessings.
If we sit down and take inventory of every little thing and every single person that comes into our lives, if we look around us and see God’s creations, if we acknowledge that God created us, if we realize all the intricate cycles and systems God created in the world and in every living person, animal, plant, and organism, then we can start to realize just how much God does give us. The heavenly gift such as salvation and eternal life are things that we can’t even begin to imagine yet, so we can’t even completely recognize all that God does for us. Also, sadly, we often take God’s blessings and gifts for granted or overlook the fact that the gifts are even from God. However, once we start to count our blessings and recognize all that God does for us, even in times of great hardship we can have hope. We can hold onto the fact that God has great power and love. We can hold onto the fact that God loves us and provides for us greatly. We can have hope and trust that God will get us through difficult times, love us, and provide us with all our needs, even before we actually see it happen. Singing for Joy:
Have you ever felt so happy that you just felt like singing (or making that joyful noise)? I think that is what David was describing in Psalms 13:6. Because he knows that God has been so good to him and has given him so much, he can and will sing with for joy to God.
Isn’t that the same thing we are doing when we sing and worship God at church? We are glorifying God for his wondrous works and love. At church, it may not be as spontaneous as what David is describing though. I know that I have sometimes just spontaneously started singing. Have you? It is a nice feeling. I don’t remember the specifics, but I remember they were happy times. God’s Word:
Sometimes when we read God’s Word, we lose something or miss something when we don’t look at a passage or chapter as a whole. Let’s look at Psalms 13 in its entirety.
“(To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David.) How long wilt thou forget me, O LORD? for ever? how long wilt thou hide thy face from me? How long shall I take counsel in my soul, having sorrow in my heart daily? How long shall mine enemy be exalted over me? Consider and hear me, O LORD my God: lighten mine eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death; Lest mine enemy say, I have prevailed against him; and those that trouble me rejoice when I am moved. But I have trusted in thy mercy; my heart shall rejoice in thy salvation. I will sing unto the LORD, because he hath dealt bountifully with me.” Psalms 13 (KJV) It is easier to see the pattern of feelings and cycle of faith when we look at Psalms 13 as a whole. We can see and feel the lowness that David describes in the beginning of the psalm and the great joy at the end of the psalm. We can see how our feelings seem to change depending on how far or how close we feel we are to God. We can see that it isn’t that God has moved far away, but that we move ourselves farther away from God or closer to God as our foci, beliefs, and attitudes change. Another thing I like to do to understand God’s Word better is to research and pray about the customs of the times. For example, because of the singing mentioned at the end of the psalm, I looked up some of the customs about singing in biblical times. There are many outside sources of the customs surrounding singing in biblical times as well as various verses in God’s Word. I invite you to do your own research to see if it adds to your understanding as well. Heavenly Father, Thank you for your Holy Word. Thank you for being our Heavenly Father, our Provider, and our Creator. Thank you for the multitude of gifts and blessings you give us, both earthly and heavenly, including life itself. Help us to keep these gifts and blessings in mind, from the smallest earthly gift to the largest and most awesome heavenly gift. Help us to count our blessings and thank you and praise you continuously out of love and joy. I ask you this through your Son, Jesus. Amen. 
If you missed other posts in the series, you may want to go back and read them now. Here they are: *Psalms 13: Crying Out to God *Psalms 13: When God Seems Far, Do We Fend for Ourselves? *Psalms 13: Crying for Life Over Death *Psalms 13: Good Versus Evil *Psalms 13: What has Changed? Now, it is your turn. I am so thankful that you are here. I pray that God blesses you as you read the Faith Blog by DUO Inspirations. If you feel called to do so, please feel free to comment or contact me at any time. I welcome your comments and look forward to reading them. Also, if you have any questions, comments, ideas, or requests for me, please feel free to let me know. Thank you. If you find value in the Faith Blog by DUO Inspirations, please share it with your friends and family. The new share buttons will make it easier for you to do that. Some of your friends and family may appreciate you sharing it, so they can read it as well. Also, if you are crying out to God and want me to pray for you as well, please feel free to contact me. I do sometimes get people who do ask for prayer. For those who do, thank you for reaching out. I am happy to pray for you. Feel free to pray for me as well. Thank you. God bless. I believe that all Christians are called to share God’s Word and encourage others to get closer to God. In helping you with your Bible study, I have a free gift for you. Please, sign up below to receive your free gift and get the Faith Blog by DUO Inspirations in your inbox each week. Yes, I may include some other “faith” content with the email at times, especially a prayer.
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Hi friends, How are you? I hope you have been enjoying the series on Psalms 13. I have enjoyed pondering it. It is a short psalm, but it covers a wide range in feelings from a very low feeling to a very happy feeling. To me, it gives hope to the reader. Today, we ponder the first sign of a change in feelings from sadness to happiness. I have to admit that this verse is more difficult for me to ponder within the context of the whole psalm and whether Psalms 13 is based upon a particular situation in David’s life or not. However, maybe I am overthinking it, because God gives people their own personal message while reading His Word. So, maybe it isn’t for me to know and that’s okay. I encourage you to read God’s Word and get your own message anyway, not go by my thoughts. These are here to encourage you or as prompts and ideas for your own thoughts and prayers. I certainly have experienced the rejoicing feeling after receiving the gift of God’s mercy. In the end, once we remember to trust in God’s mercy, our attitudes are likely to change for the better. So, let’s ponder and pray. What Happens Between Verse Four and Verse Five of Psalms 13?:
If Psalms 13 is written based on something particular in David’s life, I wonder what happened between verse four and five. The psalm goes from a really sad mood and pleas for help in the beginning of the psalm to more of a happy feeling in Psalms 13:5. Did God talk to David? Did God touch David’s heart? Did God put into David’s memory all the times He has saved David and helped David in the past? Are we even talking about something specific? Or, is David writing about a general cycle of faith? Can you remember a time when you were down for an extended period of time and then you were happy? If so, what happened to change your mood? Did you pray and finally get an answer from God? Did you start reading His Word? Did you attribute that happiness to God or to a friend and change of luck or circumstance? So, what are your thoughts? Is there an event that happens between Psalms 13:4 and Psalms 13:5 or is Psalms 13:5 the change? What if Psalms 13:5 is the Change?:
Have you ever been down and a friend or loved one said, “You will get through this. You have survived difficult situations before”? Or, maybe you were down and prayed or read God’s Word, then all of a sudden you remember that you have been through difficult situations before and God has always helped you through it. I have had these experiences before.
Sometimes when we are down, it is difficult for us to remember that we were down before and got through it. Sometimes when we are down it just feels like we are “ALWAYS” down and don’t have good times. Sometimes it takes encouragement and reminders to let us know that we have been through difficult times before and have been happy. So, if it has happened that way before, we can have hope that it can happen that way again, right? This could be the point that David is writing about in Psalms 13:5. Maybe nothing has happened between verse four and five. Maybe Psalms 13:5 is the change. In the last part of the verse David didn’t say that he is rejoicing. He said, “My heart SHALL rejoice.” Why might David’s heart rejoice? I think we see it in the first part of the verse where he wrote, “But I have trusted in thy mercy”. It seems to me that David remembered that God has brought him through difficulties before. He went from a “poor me” attitude to an attitude of “hope” because God has helped him before, so certainly God can help him again. What are your thoughts? We don’t know if David wrote Psalms 13 about something specific or not. If he did, then we don’t know the reason for this change in attitude. We don’t know if God talked to David specifically, led David to scripture or maybe to writings in a journal that reminded David that God has saved him before. Yet, this change in attitude makes the difference in the feelings and emotions depicted. God’s Word:
In God’s Word, we see many verses that talk about how our attitude should be and how our attitude can help change things for us. One of my favorites is Proverbs 17:22 (KJV) which reads, “A merry heart doeth good like a medicine: but a broken spirit drieth the bones.”
Think about when someone wants you to do something. Let’s even make it interesting and say that two people ask you to do something at the same time. You know, one of those days when you are pulled in every direction? Let’s say you are busy at the moment. Let’s further say that one person writes you every few minutes with messages like, “I really need help. I am not having fun here. I really need your help. I am stuck. Why won’t you answer me? Hello?!?” Their over all tone is “poor me” and “I need your help now.” The other person waits about a half hour and then says, “I know you are busy. You are so kind and are so helpful. I know you will get to me when you have a chance. I am just thankful that you are willing to help me, so I will do what I can or just hold out for that hope again. I will see you when I see you and I thank you for that.” Which person would you help first? Which person would you enjoy helping the most? Let’s bring this little imaginative story a little further. What if both of these people were your employees? Which person would get a better review? Which one would get the raise? Obviously, God doesn’t look at things in the way we do. God doesn’t save us if we do things better or get better grades. Yet, this scenario is similar in that a good attitude will be better for you, your health, and your well-being. And, just as we try to have a good attitude around our friends and our loved ones, our supervisors and our teachers, we also should try to have a good attitude with God as well. After all, we as Christians seek a relationship with God just as we do with any of our loved ones, right? God deserves our good attitude more than anyone and the good attitude is healthier for us, physically, emotionally, and spiritually than a bad attitude. So, it is no wonder that when we trust in God and His mercy that we can say to Him, our heart “shall rejoice in thy salvation”. When we remember His Word, when we remember His promises, we can put our trust in God and His mercy and we can rejoice, instead of feeling down or scared or whatever negative feeling we might feel. Heavenly Father, Thank you for your mercy! You gift us with your mercy and grace more than we deserve. Help us to remember that our attitude can make a difference in our situations. Help us to remember to thank you and praise you even before we see your mercy in our current situation. I ask you this through your Son, Jesus. Amen. 
If you missed other posts in the series, you may want to go back and read them now. Here they are:
*Psalms 13: Crying Out to God *Psalms 13: When God Seems Far, Do We Fend for Ourselves? *Psalms 13: Crying for Life Over Death *Psalms 13: Good Versus Evil Now, it is your turn. I am so thankful that you are here. I pray that God blesses you as you read the Faith Blog by DUO Inspirations. If you feel called to do so, please feel free to comment or contact me at any time. I welcome your comments and look forward to reading them. Also, if you have any questions, comments, ideas, or requests for me, please feel free to let me know. Thank you. If you find value in the Faith Blog by DUO Inspirations, please share it with your friends and family. The new share buttons will make it easier for you to do that. Some of your friends and family may appreciate you sharing it, so they can read it as well. Also, if you are crying out to God and want me to pray for you as well, please feel free to contact me. I do sometimes get people who do ask for prayer. For those who do, thank you for reaching out. I am happy to pray for you. Feel free to pray for me as well. Thank you. God bless. I believe that all Christians are called to share God’s Word and encourage others to get closer to God. In helping you with your Bible study, I have a free gift for you. Please, sign up below to receive your free gift and get the Faith Blog by DUO Inspirations in your inbox each week. Yes, I may include some other “faith” content with the email at times, especially a prayer.
Hi friends, How are you? Are you able to relate to David’s words as we ponder our way through Psalms 13? Psalms 13:4 is the last of the sad verses in the psalm. It is also one that leaves me with the most questions as I ponder it. What are your thoughts? Who is David’s Enemy?
Who is the enemy in which David refers to here? There are many thoughts on that. Some people feel it could be Saul who was jealous of David and was trying to kill him. Some people feel it was Absalom who was trying to overthrow him. Some people feel there wasn’t one particular enemy in mind.
We already know that David had many enemies. He fought many wars. Some were personal and some were for the good of his community. He could even be talking about himself. We can all be our worst enemies on earth at times. David could also mean a more general term in enemy or he could be talking about enemies in general and not one particular situation. He could be talking about “THE ENEMY”, the enemy of us all, Satan. After all, who ever or whatever seems to be our enemy, whatever darkness seems to come over us, Satan is behind it all, even if we don’t see it. We may see the face of a rival at work, or an abuser, or even a loved one who has wronged us in some way, but the one behind the cruelty is Satan. I wonder if it wouldn’t be healthier to see the face of Satan as our enemy instead of the actual person or situation that seems to be against us. In that way, it might not feel so personal. Maybe it would be easier to be more forgiving of the person and more understanding of the situation. For example, I think it is easier to think that God is going to get “even” and be the victor over Satan than it is to think that God might get “even” with the person or situation that did us wrong. I am not saying take the responsibility away from the person or make excuses for him or her. After all, if he or she wronged you, then they still should take responsibility for it and apologize. But if we see them as someone who is struggling against Satan’s influences just as we are, it seems like it would be easier to know that it wasn’t about our worth and that we are called to forgive them as much as others are called to forgive us. Pridefulness:
Have you ever wanted to win or succeed because of how others would think? Have you ever felt like you wanted to succeed because you didn’t want others to think down on you or think less of you? Have you ever wanted to win or succeed because you didn’t want the other person to say, “Ha, ha, I won and you lost. Ha, ha, I won and you lost.”
I know there have been times when I didn’t succeed and my adversary sort of mocked me and put me down. It didn’t feel very well, especially when it happened when I was a child. I didn’t understand that it was “just a game” or that people can be mean sometimes and it has nothing to do with my worth. I also have to admit that I have had my fair share of pridefulness as well. Most of it was meant to be in the name of fun, but some of it not so much. Pride can get in our way, if we are on the “winning” end of it or the “losing” end of it. It doesn’t matter. It still isn’t a pleasant, good, or righteous thing to feel or show. Often times the pridefulness of our adversary and the ribbing that goes with it, feels worse than the original loss. Good Versus Evil:
It might sound strange, but some feel that if David was talking in generalities, if Psalms 13 was a general thought about nothing in particular, then he probably wasn’t thinking about prideful enemies saying anything against him personally. His concerns could have been more philosophical and spiritual. He could have been concerned about good versus evil. David could have been concerned about the devil winning over a child of God.
This is the ultimate conflict in all of our lives. Especially as Christians, we want to do what we can to be on God’s side and see God’s side succeed. We struggle and sin when Satan creeps into our lives in some way. For example, when we pray the Lord’s Prayer, we prayer for God’s kingdom, not for Satan’s kingdom. God’s Word:
I said in the beginning of the post that I have questions with this verse. I have already mentioned one of them about whether it is healthier to view our enemies as Satan and not as the people or situation specifically. However, I have other questions as well.
If David was talking about the fight against Satan and concerned about good versus evil, then his plea was for God to make things right so God wouldn’t look bad. It reminds me of when Moses talked with God and asked for mercy for the Israelites in Exodus 32:11-13 after they had made the golden calf. Let’s look at those words again: “And Moses besought the LORD his God, and said, LORD, why doth thy wrath wax hot against thy people, which thou hast brought forth out of the land of Egypt with great power, and with a mighty hand? Wherefore should the Egyptians speak, and say, For mischief did he bring them out, to slay them in the mountains, and to consume them from the face of the earth? Turn from thy fierce wrath, and repent of this evil against thy people. Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, thy servants, to who thou swarest by thine own self, and sadist unto them, I will multiply your seed as the stars of heaven, and all this land that I have spoken of will I give unto your seed, and they shall inherit it for ever.” (KJV) In the same way that Moses was pleading for mercy not just for the Israelites, but also to preserve God’s glory, so the enemy can’t boast of a win against God, David may have been doing the same thing in Psalms 13:4. So, why should I question that motive and strategy? I question it, because it sounds like David and Moses are being a bit manipulative to God. I mean God doesn’t need anyone to tell Him how to run His creations and God doesn’t need anyone looking out for Him. I don’t know about you, but it seems a bit sneaky and wrong to ask God to help you, so that others won’t look badly upon God. Yet, God doesn’t seem to mind. In fact, in Exodus 32:14, we see how God changes His mind and “repented”. (That is another verse that puzzles me.) What are your thoughts? My other question is, why are we even caring what other people think? Aren’t we trying to please God and not people? Doesn’t Paul ask in Galatians 1:10 (KJV), “For do I now persuade men, or God? Or do I seek to please men? For if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ.”? We are called to please God, not people. We see it again in 1 Thessalonians 2:4, when Paul says, “But as we were allow of God to be put in trust with the gospel, even so we speak; not as a pleasing men, but God, which trieth our hearts.” We see this concept in many verses. What are your thoughts? Heavenly Father, Thank you for your infinite love and wisdom. Thank you for your Word and your mercy. Thank you for being there for us and for showing us the way to You. Help us to be concerned with not only ourselves but with your kingdom as well. Help us to understand your will for us when things seem a bit confusing. I ask you this through your Son, Jesus. Amen. 
If you missed other posts in the series, you may want to go back and read them now. Here they are: *Psalms 13: Crying Out to God *Psalms 13: When God Seems Far, Do We Fend for Ourselves? *Psalms 13: Crying for Life Over Death Now, it is your turn. I am so thankful that you are here. I pray that God blesses you as you read the Faith Blog by DUO Inspirations. If you feel called to do so, please feel free to comment or contact me at any time. I welcome your comments and look forward to reading them. Also, if you have any questions, comments, ideas, or requests for me, please feel free to let me know. Thank you. If you find value in the Faith Blog by DUO Inspirations, please share it with your friends and family. The new share buttons will make it easier for you to do that. Some of your friends and family may appreciate you sharing it, so they can read it as well. Also, if you are crying out to God and want me to pray for you as well, please feel free to contact me. I do sometimes get people who do ask for prayer. For those who do, thank you for reaching out. I am happy to pray for you. Feel free to pray for me as well. Thank you. God bless. I believe that all Christians are called to share God’s Word and encourage others to get closer to God. In helping you with your Bible study, I have a free gift for you. Please, sign up below to receive your free gift and get the Faith Blog by DUO Inspirations in your inbox each week. Yes, I may include some other “faith” content with the email at times, especially a prayer.
Hi friends, How are you? We have been exploring a very short, but powerful psalm. In verses one and two of Psalms 13, we read about feeling so down that one doesn’t even think God is listening. If you haven't read post one or post two in this series, you might want to do so now. Let’s continue today in pondering Psalms 13:3. Come Right Out and Ask God to Hear Your Prayer:
Have you ever thought about how your prayers look and progress as time goes by with no apparent answer in sight? They might start out with, “Please, help me, if it is your will.” Then they might go to something like, “Please, please, help me.” Then they might go to something like, “This is so hard. I really need your help.” Then it might go to something like, “Why me? Why do I have to go through this?” Sound familiar? Yes, I have prayed through this progression before.
When we are just starting our hardship, we tend to still have patience and respect for God. We still want to be polite in our prayers and still know that God’s will is best. In the beginning of our troubles, we might not think that they will be too bad or last too long. Yet, as time goes by and our troubles seem to have settled in for the long haul, we tend to get a little less polite with others and with God. We still might pray or look for help, but we might not feel that God’s will is to be the center of our prayer anymore. We might feel that we just want better times to come. We might just call for help. We might get so low in our heart that we are barely praying anymore. We might get to the point of just crying out, poor me. We might want to know why we are going through such troubles. We might just want people to notice us and maybe have pity on us, including God. We might even feel that on the verge of death. We might get so low that we might feel better off dead. We might feel like we can’t take it anymore. We might feel like it won’t be too long before we die if our troubles continue the way they are going. This is where we are in Psalms 13. David writes about the feeling that death will come soon if things don’t change. David writes about calling God to notice him. David cries out for God to listen and consider him. Feeling Small and Fragile:
In Psalms 13:3, David is depicting that point in life where we feel fragile and small. Maybe David was wondering if he was too small, too despicable, and too insignificant for God to help. Maybe David was focusing on all the things that he had done wrong in life. Maybe he felt helpless and hopeless. Maybe when David felt the lowest, he cries out in one last ditch effort, “Consider and hear me, O LORD my God”, as we see in the first part of Psalms 13:3. Have you ever felt like this?
I imagine David feeling like, “God, it is me, David. Don’t you remember me? I know I have sinned, but I am still a person. You made me a person. You know who I am. God? Where are you? God, am I really so horrible that you can’t even look at me anymore? God? God? Where are you? Please, God, I need you. I am going to die if you don’t help me. God? Please, consider me, your old friend David. Please! Please, hear my prayer.” Can you relate? I know that when it feels like God is far away and not listening, I question my significance. I question whether God really wants to see me or talk to me. It might be fleeting thoughts, but at times, they do come up. I start to feel helpless and hopeless. What are your thoughts? How do you imagine David’s thoughts and feelings for this verse? A Plea For Life Instead of Death:
Now, let’s look at the last part of Psalms 13:3. David writes, “lighten my eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death.” (KJV) We don’t really talk like that today, so it might be difficult for us to understand. However, with the word death and the way it is used, we can kind of tell that David writes about being on the brink of death or at least the feeling of being at the brink of death.
I think there are a few ways to look at the phrase “lighten my eyes”. The eyes are sometimes referred to as the “light of the body” as in Matthew 6:22. If you think about it, if you close your eyes, things go dark even if it is light outside. So, for most of us, the phrase of the “eyes are the light of the body” makes sense. To be more drastic, closing our eyes could mean forever as in death. Here we can consider death as in a physical death or a spiritual death in not being able to see God and being far from Him. I imagine that heaven is a very bright place with plenty of light. And, in contrast, hell has been described as darkness. Another way of looking at the phrase “lighten my eyes” could include the word “light” to mean as in weight and not brightness. I don’t know about you, but when I feel very tired, run down, exhausted, or even depressed, my eyes feel heavy. David could be talking about that feeling when we are so very tired and run down that we don’t think we can go a step more. Maybe we haven’t slept in a week or two and we have big puffy eyes and bags under our eyes. Maybe we are so overwhelmed, tired, and stressed out that we feel like we are at the end of our rope. One more stress, one more argument, one more disappointment and we are just going to lose it. I am not sure what kind of death David means in the phrase “lest I sleep the sleep of death.” Do you? I don’t know if he might be talking about death in general being so fragile and feeling like God is so far away. I don’t know whether he might be talking about a physical death or a spiritual death. I don’t know if he might be feeling suicidal, because he feels so lost and so far away from God. I don’t know if he is talking about being killed, like he is in danger and is crying for God to protect him. Or, maybe he feels an overwhelming stress or heart ache and might feel like the stress will kill him. Whether it is a specific death or a general death, whether it is a particular instance or a general situation, I think David is describing the fragileness we sometimes feel during a difficult situation. I think it is a cry for God’s help and a last ditch effort to get God to answer prayer on the brink of death. God’s Word:
I like how God’s Word is filled with words with multiple meanings, such as “lighten my eyes” that we see in Psalms 13:3. Not that I know for sure, but it is my guess that God’s Word was set up that way on purpose. I believe that is one of the reasons why we can get something new out of God’s Word every time we read it and that different people get different messages from reading the same passage or verse.
Even with Psalms 13, some people think that David wrote it during a specific time and difficult situation in his life. Some people think it might be during the time when his son Absalom was trying to take over his throne. I am sure that time was a difficult time for David. Can you imagine your own child trying to overthrow you and take your place? That is not the kind of behavior a parent wants to see from a child. Many times, it is harder if a loved one turns against us than a stranger. However, other people tend to think that Psalms 13 was written for a more general purpose. There was no particular difficulty in David’s life that provoked him to write this. It was just something that God put in his heart to write down to show people that God understands the feelings we have and to give us hope during difficult times. Psalms 13:3 or maybe even Psalms 13 in general might be a metaphor. For example, when we get to the point where we don’t feel like God is listening anymore. We might feel like we are dead or dying. After all, God is the source of life, not only our physical life, but everlasting life. If we are so far away from God that we don’t hear Him anymore, we could be in hell. We could be in eternal darkness and eternal death. There could be many ways to interpret Psalms 13 as well as many verses in God’s Word. What are your thoughts? Heavenly Father, Thank you for your Word. Thank you for the infinite wisdom that you posses and that you pass on through your Word. Thank you that your Word is written in such a way that we all are given the message you want us to have at the time it is read, even if it is a different message each time we read it. Help us to continue to turn to you even in difficult situations. Help us to have patience in your timing and trust in you, even if we don’t feel you hear us right away. Help us to stay in your light and not get caught up in darkness. I ask you this through your Son, Jesus. Amen. 
If you enjoyed this post, please stay tuned for the rest of the series on Psalms 13. Also, you might like to read these similar posts:
*3 Things We are Called to do in Psalms 105:1 *Do You Believe in God's Word and Pray for Knowledge and Good Judgment? *Do You Lack Hope or Strength? Now, it is your turn. I am so thankful that you are here. I pray that God blesses you as you read the Faith Blog by DUO Inspirations. If you feel called to do so, please feel free to comment or contact me at any time. I welcome your comments and look forward to reading them. Also, if you have any questions, comments, ideas, or requests for me, please feel free to let me know. Thank you. If you find value in the Faith Blog by DUO Inspirations, please share it with your friends and family. The new share buttons will make it easier for you to do that. Some of your friends and family may appreciate you sharing it, so they can read it as well. Also, if you are crying out to God and want me to pray for you as well, please feel free to contact me. I do sometimes get people who do ask for prayer. For those who do, thank you for reaching out. I am happy to pray for you. Feel free to pray for me as well. Thank you. God bless. I believe that all Christians are called to share God’s Word and encourage others to get closer to God. In helping you with your Bible study, I have a free gift for you. Please, sign up below to receive your free gift and get the Faith Blog by DUO Inspirations in your inbox each week. Yes, I may include some other “faith” content with the email at times, especially a prayer.
Hi friends, How are you? Last week, we started delving into Psalms 13. If you haven’t read the ponderings about Psalms 13:1, you may want to do so now. I hope you are enjoying it. The psalm starts out as a sad one. As I mentioned in the last blog post though, we aren’t sure whether this psalm is based on a particular situation in David’s life or something written to glorify God and to help others. Regardless of when or why it was written, I do believe the psalm, like the entire Bible, glorifies God and helps others. What do You do When You Feel Sad and Alone for Extended Periods of Time?:
Let’s set the stage or feeling for Psalms 13:2 in our own minds. We have all had times of sadness. We may have even had sadness for extended periods of time. You may have felt this as well. Think back a little. What do you do when you are feeling sad and alone? What do you do when you feel like you are the only one going through a difficult time? What do you do when you feel like nobody cares or nobody will help you? What do you do when you feel like God is distant and not answering your prayers?
Have you ever had a time when you felt nobody, not even God was going to help you get out of a difficult and sorrowful situation? Have you ever sort of told yourself that you better start figuring it out, because nobody was going to help you? What is your first reaction when you are in a bind? Do you start thinking about all the “what ifs” or “should I” options? You know how it goes. “What if I do this? What if that happens? Maybe I should do this. No. Maybe I should do that. I don’t know what to do, but I better figure it out soon.” Sound familiar? Psalms 13:2 is depicting these sorts of feelings and thoughts. What is David Saying in Psalms 13:2?
So, what is David really saying in Psalms 13:2? It may be easier to think about if we think about David actually going through these thoughts and feelings at the time. What ever the situation may be, the first question is, “How long shall I take counsel in my soul, having sorrow in my heart daily?” (KJV)
That is probably not how we would say it today. So, let’s take it slow and figure out what David is saying. If he is talking about having “sorrow in my heart daily”, then we can imagine that it is something that he has been feeling or going through for a while. What about the first part of this question, when David says, “How long shall I take counsel in my soul…”? What does that mean? Let’s think about what we are doing when we seek counseling or advice from someone. We are trying to find answers, get ideas, and get help in our situation. If you “take counsel” in your own “soul” that is trying to find answers, get ideas, and get help within ourselves. We are trying to figure out our own problems. If this psalm is based on a real life situation David was going through, we see in the second question of the verse the type of situation struggled through that led to writing this psalm. It was one involving an enemy. This second question in Psalms 13:2 (KJV) reads, “How long shall my enemy be exalted over me?” We don’t know which particular enemy David was talking about or if there was one particular enemy. God may have put these words in David’s heart because he had many enemies and wanted to help him and others through difficult situations. We do know that David had many enemies. He fought many wars. He had surrounding nations that were enemies. He had friends and even family members turn into enemies. Sometimes David was even his own worst enemy. It sounds to me that in David’s mind, at least, the “bad guy” is getting all the breaks and is being treated as the “good guy” and he who is the “good guy” isn’t getting any of the breaks and is being treated as the “bad guy”. Did you follow that? Sometimes in life, the ones who try to do the right things get looked down upon. Maybe they get beat out by people who cheat or get accused of a wrong that someone else has done. The person in the wrong, the winner who cheated or the one who “got away with something” sometimes gets praised for their cunning successes even if they were wrong and unfair. God’s Word:
So, what is our biblical take away for Psalms 13:2? What lessons can we learn and hope can we find in these words? What should we think about and pray about based on Psalms 13:2? One of the first questions I find to ask about Psalms 13:2 is, “Is it really such a good idea to try to figure out our own solutions?” The world might praise those who are independent, go-getters who solve their own problems. However, we are not really called to do that. We are called to rely on God. I think David is trying to do that in this verse, but shows how easy it is to teeter back and forth when it feels like God is so far away and not listening. After all, David is asking God how long will he be left alone to his own thoughts? It sounds like he doesn’t want to figure it out for himself, but wants God’s help in this situation. He is just not getting any answers. Just in case we had any doubt about who we should rely on, Proverbs 3:5 (KJV) says, “Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.” Another thing I find interesting about Psalms 13 is that between verses one and two, David asks God “how long” four times. I can relate and feel for David. I can imagine how devastated, sad, and distraught David was feeling. Maybe he was on the brink of depression and feeling overwhelmed, maybe even helpless. Yet, he still cried out to God. He hasn’t given up on God yet. We are called to not give up on God as well. There are many, many verses in the Bible that talks about God’s timing. God’s timing is often not the same as our timing and may not come as quickly as we would like. There is hope when we are going through difficult situations, even if we are going through them for extended periods of time. Galatians 6:9 tells us not to get tired of doing the right thing, because we will end up reaping what we sow in the long run if we don’t stop. Romans 12:12 tells us to rejoice in our hoping, to be patient, and to continue to pray. So, let’s keep praying. Heavenly Father, Thank you for your Word, O LORD. Help us to learn from it and find hope in it. Help us to continue to seek you, cry out for you, and rely on you, even when it feels like you aren’t listening. Help us to know that you are listening, that you have our best interest at heart, and that we will see the goodness and reap the reward if we keep looking to you. Help us to know you are with us as long as we look to you. I ask you this through your Son, Jesus. Amen. 
If you enjoyed this post, please stay tuned for the rest of the series on Psalms 13. Also, you might like to read these similar posts:
*Are You Righteous or Self-Righteous When it Comes to Mistakes? *3 Things We are Called to do in Psalms 105:1 Now, it is your turn. I am so thankful that you are here. I pray that God blesses you as you read the Faith Blog by DUO Inspirations. If you feel called to do so, please feel free to comment or contact me at any time. I welcome your comments and look forward to reading them. Also, if you have any questions, comments, ideas, or requests for me, please feel free to let me know. Thank you. If you find value in the Faith Blog by DUO Inspirations, please share it with your friends and family. The new share buttons will make it easier for you to do that. Some of your friends and family may appreciate you sharing it, so they can read it as well. Also, if you are crying out to God and want me to pray for you as well, please feel free to contact me. I do sometimes get people who do ask for prayer. For those who do, thank you for reaching out. I am happy to pray for you. Feel free to pray for me as well. Thank you. God bless. I believe that all Christians are called to share God’s Word and encourage others to get closer to God. In helping you with your Bible study, I have a free gift for you. Please, sign up below to receive your free gift and get the Faith Blog by DUO Inspirations in your inbox each week. Yes, I may include some other “faith” content with the email at times, especially a prayer.
Hi friends, How are you? Have you read Psalms 13 before? What were your thoughts? I don’t know about you, but I have much pondering to do with this psalm. For example, I wonder why some psalms, like this one, say “to the chief Musician”. Do you know? Anyway, I invite you on this journey of pondering Psalms 13 with me in the next few weeks. Who is the Chief Musician of Psalms 13:1?:
The beginning of Psalms 13 mentions a “chief musician”. There is some speculation as to who is meant be “the chief musician”. Some say it could have been one of musicians of the time. Maybe David wrote Psalms 13 to be played in one of the services back in the day. Maybe David wanted the musician to know or practice or use this psalm for some reason. Who knows? Maybe David was writing a note of sympathy to the musician. My mind can come up with many reasons why these words are part of the psalm.
Others speculate that “the chief Musician” could be God. I mean, God is “the Chief” everything. Why not consider Him the “Chief Musician”? It seems as though David is talking to God throughout the psalm anyway, so it would make sense that the opening statement is directed towards God. Why Did David Write Psalms 13?:
I wonder why David wrote Psalms 13. Was there a particular time in his life where he was feeling particularly low? We know that he had his share of low times. Could one of those times have brought on the need or desire to write this psalm?
Or, maybe David had a much more meaningful and positive reason for writing Psalms 13. Maybe David wanted to write the psalm to glorify God. Maybe he wanted to show that despite feeling the lowest of lows, one can still pray, trust in God, and feel God’s help and presence. The Emotion of Psalms 13:1:
I don’t know about you, but I can feel the emotion in Psalms 13:1. Let’s look at it. After the introduction, it says, “How long wilt thou forget me, O LORD?” Can you imagine the desperation? If David wrote this in the midst of a difficult situation, it sounds like he had been there for quite a while. It sounds like he had started questioning whether God was even listening to him any more or if God was mad at him or something.
Have you ever felt like questioning God? Have you ever felt like you have been going through a situation and you have been praying your heart out, but nothing changes? Have you felt this kind of “almost ready to give up” desperation? One might not feel that questioning God, or yelling at God, or crying to God, whatever David might have been doing here. Yet, it sounds like David was being very vulnerable and honest with his feelings. I don’t know if it is “right” or not. However, I do think that God likes honesty. With the second question in Psalms 13:1, the “for ever?” we can see that David was feeling this for a while. Or, he was showing that the despair or lowness had been for a while. If it wasn’t for something he was going through, he could have been magnifying the fact that people even in the lowest of their lows, can call on God. In the last question of the verse David asks God, “How long wilt thou hide thy face from me?” Whether David was feeling it himself or wanted to stress that it is possible for people in general, he was showing that it might feel at times that God is ignoring you. Have you felt that before? Have you felt that God has ignored you? It seems like David felt desperate and overwhelmed. I wonder if he also felt depressed and angry. I can imagine David yelling out, maybe even crying out to God in desperation. He may have even been standing and dropped to his knees out of exhaustion, almost as a sign of overwhelm and on the brink of hopelessness. We read about how God seemed to rely on God quite a bit and trust in Him most of his life. Feeling a desperation and fear or concern that God might be ignoring him seems quite the opposite of that usual trust and reliance. God’s Word:
How often have you read Psalms 13:1 or any of the verses in God’s Word and glossed through the verses like the words in any other book? We could read Psalms 13:1 and think, “Okay, a man from long ago was having a bad day. It doesn’t affect me.” Yet, all of God’s Word is meant to teach us no matter how long ago it was written.
I find that it is easier to get more out of God’s Word, when I ponder it. I feel that it is important to find ways to relate to it and find the meaning of not only the people in the day, but for me in my day as well. Like I said, I think whether or not David was going through something at that particular time or not, he was trying to show that no matter how low you are feeling, even in the lowest of your lows, you can call out to God. Even though he might be down, questioning, upset, scared, desperate, or whatever he is feeling, he is still calling out to God. Heavenly Father, Thank you for your Word. We may not know things like why David wrote the exact things he did thousands of years ago, but help us to remember that all your Word can help us and lead us to you. Help us not to gloss past verses that seem outdated. Help us to know that even in our lowest of lows, we are called to turn to you. Even if it might feel that you are listening, we are called to turn to you and trust you. I ask you this through your Son, Jesus. Amen. 
If you enjoyed this post, please stay tuned for the rest of the series on Psalms 13. Also, you might like to read these similar posts: *Are You Wearing the Whole Armor of God? *Love and Fear Now, it is your turn. I am so thankful that you are here. I pray that God blesses you as you read the Faith Blog by DUO Inspirations. If you feel called to do so, please feel free to comment or contact me at any time. I welcome your comments and look forward to reading them. Also, if you have any questions, comments, ideas, or requests for me, please feel free to let me know. Thank you. If you find value in the Faith Blog by DUO Inspirations, please share it with your friends and family. The new share buttons will make it easier for you to do that. Some of your friends and family may appreciate you sharing it, so they can read it as well. Also, if you are crying out to God and want me to pray for you as well, please feel free to contact me. I do sometimes get people who do ask for prayer. For those who do, thank you for reaching out. I am happy to pray for you. Feel free to pray for me as well. Thank you. God bless. I believe that all Christians are called to share God’s Word and encourage others to get closer to God. In helping you with your Bible study, I have a free gift for you. Please, sign up below to receive your free gift and get the Faith Blog by DUO Inspirations in your inbox each week. Yes, I may include some other “faith” content with the email at times, especially a prayer. |
Hi friends!
This is Jodi. I am so glad you are here! I am a Christian and life-long learner. I enjoy sharing and encouraging others. I pray you are blessed by this blog. Thank you for being here. Archives
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