Feeling desperate? ∙
I trust in your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation. – Psalm 13:5
Psalms 13:1-6
1 O LORD, how long will you forget me? Forever? How long will you look the other way?
2 How long must I struggle with anguish in my soul, with sorrow in my heart every day? How long will my enemy have the upper hand?
3 Turn and answer me, O LORD my God! Restore the sparkle to my eyes, or I will die.
4 Don’t let my enemies gloat, saying, “We have defeated him!” Don’t let them rejoice at my downfall.
5 But I trust in your unfailing love, your lovingkindness. I will rejoice because you have rescued me.
6 I will sing to the LORD because he is good to me.
“The mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation. What is called resignation is confirmed desperation. From the desperate city, you go into the desperate country and have to console yourself with the bravery of minks and muskrats. A stereotyped but unconscious despair is concealed even under what are called the games and amusements of mankind” (Henry David Thoreau).
“Nowadays, most men lead lives of noisy desperation” (James Thurber).
What should you do when you feel desperate?
“When you’re at the end of your rope, tie a knot and hold on” (Theodore Roosevelt).
David had a better approach. He frequently faced frustration, fear, despair, and desperation, but he persevered and worked his way through it.
Over time, David learned to trust the Father in every situation, even when he felt abandoned and alone. His confidence in the Father’s unfailing love grew. He developed the habit of rejoicing amid his difficult circumstances (Psalms 13:5).
When we find ourselves backed into a corner, weary from life’s relentless challenges, we often start to question everything. We question our own worth and identity. We question the faithfulness and loyalty of those around us. But most of all, we have serious doubts about the Father’s love and involvement in our lives. Is He really there for us? So often, we ask, “Where is God while my life is falling apart? Why has God abandoned me?” (Johnston).
And so it was with David. In Psalms 13, David pleads and challenges four times with the question, “How long?”
How long will you forget me?
How long will you look the other way?
How long must I struggle with anguish in my soul?
How long will my enemy have the upper hand?
How long do we ask the Father, “How long?”
David felt ignored and neglected, forsaken and downcast. In his despair, he began to believe that the Father was hiding from him. He alludes to his unseen presence in the private recesses of his heart. He feels separated from the Father after experiencing a sweet, intimate walk with Him. David’s sense of estrangement is so intense that he can hardly bear the anguish. It interferes with his breathing, and pain grips his heart. David cries out from the depths of his soul, “Look at me! Answer me!” His plea is an urgent request for an answer now. David feels like he is on the verge of destruction. In desperate need, he cries out for complete deliverance. He begs to survive now (Terrien)!
This is one of the mysterious ways of the Father. As we grow and develop spiritual maturity, we come to understand it as part of the maturation process. “At times, we might feel as though God has slammed the door to heaven in our face. Yet these times do not last. Often, He is testing us to see if we will continue to follow Him, regardless” (Stanley).
Eventually, many of our questions are answered, and we gain perspective and understanding. We acquire wisdom that can only be obtained through periods of isolation.
REFLECT & PRAY
How do we rise above our doubts, questions, and frustration? David shows the way. David feels frustrated and questions the Father. But then a transformation occurs. Something remarkable happens. His questions turn into prayers, and his prayers become acts of worship. Truly extraordinary!
Father, thank You for allowing us to ask questions. Help me transform my questions into worship, praise, and trust in You.
INSIGHT
Almost everyone can relate to David’s desperation and doubts. Desperation has been part of the human experience since the Fall. It is part of the curse. We live in a fallen world, and we are fallen creatures. However, not everyone has found accurate help by turning to the living God, our heavenly Father. In desperate and lonely situations, David shows us the way to find hope when it seems elusive.
“The Christian life thrives on both memory and hope. We remember how God has shown us mercy in the past, and so we look forward to how He will save us in the future” (Stanley).
No matter how great the pressure, the choice remains ours, not the enemy’s. The Father never changes; His lovingkindness is everlasting. David “entrusts himself to this pledged love and turns his attention not to the quality of his faith but to its object and its outcome, which he has every intention of enjoying. David’s certainty, faith exercised, looks back at the whole way he has been led” (Kidner).
Do not be afraid to ask difficult questions. The Father already knows what is in your heart and patiently and lovingly hears them all, even when you are angry. Often, a miraculous transformation takes place as we transition from doubt to confidence. Voicing our doubts can become a spiritual catharsis, freeing us from desperation and isolation.
¯\_(ツ)_/¯ 5-24-2
© Dr. H 2024
Dr H Reflections 