PSALM 13 – To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David. How long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me? How long must I take counsel in my soul and have sorrow in my heart all the day? How long shall my enemy be exalted over me? Consider and answer me, O Lord my God; light up my eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death, lest my enemy say, “I have prevailed over him,” lest my foes rejoice because I am shaken. But I have trusted in your steadfast love; my heart shall rejoice in your salvation. I will sing to the Lord, because he has dealt bountifully with me.”
THEME OF THE DAY: FROM IMPATIENCE TO PRAISE. Today’s scripture is a moving Psalm, not just in the strong language of impatience from David. In the first two verses he is crying out “How long?” to the Lord four times. To say, “David, you are displaying quite an impatient attitude in your prayer to the Lord” would be an accurate assessment of his heart. But the most moving part of the Psalm is the distance David travels, heart distance, from the way he begins and ends. From impatient crying to the Lord to a resolve to praise the Lord is a big, big jump and provides us much instruction as we read how David went from one place to the other.
What is the bridge David crossed to get from a sinful heart of impatience to a God-pleasing heart of praise? It was the exercise of faith in God’s steadfast love – But I have trusted in Your steadfast love (Psalm 13:5). Impatience is an emotional response to the failure to remember to exercise faith in God’s sovereignty working itself out in all circumstances. The very thing prompting our impatience, whether it be from a person, situation, or circumstance, didn’t just happen in our lives. It was sent into our lives as the work of God in us while we work out our salvation – Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure. Do all things without grumbling or disputing (Philippians 2:12-14). Stop and apply this truth in the difficulty tempting us to be impatient. God is working in us the Fruit of the Spirit through this temptation and what is one of the fruits in the cluster? Patience. We develop this necessary Christ-like virtue by being placed in circumstances tempting us to the opposite – impatience – and defeating it by the Spirit working patience in us. However, the Spirit doesn’t just “zap” us with patience. David, and we, must do our part.
David was decisive. He exercised faith to win this battle against impatience and it was directed to God’s steadfast love. Always remember, behind the sovereign hand of God in sending us trying times is His heart of love sending them. David didn’t wait for his situation to change to exercise faith. He chose to do so, and we must as well. Faith doesn’t wait for a feeling. It decisively acts by the will towards who God is and what He declares of Himself. And what happened when David did so? The Psalm ends with him praising – But I have trusted in your steadfast love; my heart shall rejoice in your salvation. I will sing to the Lord, because he has dealt bountifully with me (Psalm 13:5-6).
So, whether it be impatience or any other sin of attitude or action, we may defeat them by exercising faith in God’s steadfast love that always leads to victory over any sin – praise!
PRAYER: “Father, thank You for Your patience with me when I am impatient towards You.”
QUOTE: “Praise is great medicine to heal spiritual woes like impatience for it takes our eyes off ourselves.”
In the affection of Christ Jesus,
Pastor Jim