Psalms 13: What has Changed?

“But I have trusted in thy mercy; my heart shall rejoice in thy salvation.”
                      Psalms 13:5 (KJV)

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

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:
*Perseverance: It Will Happen in God's Timing
*We are Called to be Careful for Nothing?
*Biblical Encouragement for the Depressed and Discouraged

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