How long, O Lord? Will You forget me forever?
How long will You hide Your face from me?
How long shall I take counsel in my soul,
Having sorrow in my heart all the day?
How long will my enemy be exalted over me? (Psalm 13:1-2)
l don’t have anyone trying to kill me. But I do have times when l wonder if God is listening or if he cares. I assume that this is true of all Christians. The tragedy is that on any given Sunday, in any given church, it is unlikely that you will find anyone who shows signs of questioning God’s concern for them. Too often we stuff down our doubts and feelings of frustration and paste on our “spiritual” smile and pretend that everything is OK.
You may have noticed that I have not posted much in the last few weeks. Life has been chaotic, or at least more chaotic than normal. Nothing really bad has happened to me personally but the stuff happening around me has stripped away any illusion of control that I might have had. It is too easy to lose perspective and be overwhelmed by the circumstances.
Some examples: my manager unexpectedly left for a competitor, a manager that I liked and with whom I worked well. I have been assigned a role in the company that is not my first choice but I am still obliged to do it well. I read that government officials cannot restrain themselves from spending more than they have, putting our country in financial jeopardy. The news media promotes and applauds immorality that would not have been tolerated a generation ago. I have uncertainty about what form of ministry I am called to. The list of things that can destroy my focus and cause me to question God’s concern for myself and the people around me is seemingly inexhaustible.
To make matters worse, there are some who say that allowing these things to bother me is a sign of spiritual weakness or a lack of trust in God. It is these “Job’s counselors” that pressure people into pretending that everything is OK even when it is not.
This Is why I like the Psalms, especially the psalms of David. David keeps it real. In Psalm 13 we see the man after God’s own heart admitting his own sense of alienation and frustration with God.
We do not serve a God who always makes it easy. Life is sometimes difficult and it is no different for the Christian. In a sense it may be worse for the Christian because we have the expectation that it could be better.
God allows us to go through difficult times. He allows us to go through dry times where it feels like our prayers never make it past the ceiling in the room. God allows the knuckleheads to remain in power both in the government and in the church. Often, he leaves us wondering why.
It is in those times when the promise of Jesus begins to bring comfort. He will be with me to the end of the age (Matthew 28:20). To fix our predicament, God came down to be one of us to feel our pain and offer a solution for it. While this may not make the process easier, it should affect the result.
We can be honest about our struggles knowing that in the end, God will make it right. We don’t have to pretend that everything is well with us. We can be honest. David was.
@mhmcintyre says
February 20, 2014 at 9:20 PMFrom the archives: How Long, O Lord? http://t.co/RdVAAZGiAl
#BibleReflection
James Smith says
November 4, 2013 at 7:14 PMOh Lord!
Glen McGraw says
October 29, 2013 at 7:38 AMLove the transparency of this post. At some time or another this is every persons post.
Squishhhhug says
October 28, 2013 at 9:52 PMThe connection is the question – HOW LONG ? basically saying how long lord -will I and all people have to suffer in a pitifull world ? It was then – in a way more suffering in life – but compare it today and it’s the same , because all suffering created is from money and the love of it -as it was then and is now , only magnified the whole world over— Frankly – I read all these these verses and such – repeated and repeated and it upsets me that no one cares enough to make the change that has to be made to make the world peace and paradise we all want- All I see is people throwing these verses at each other , but then the problems standing in the way of world change are simply ignored- Jesus made change when he came – but it took people to spread the change – and the change has been knocked down via the love of money , and everyone just ignores it instead of choosing to make the change within themselves and then contribute to the change -not much has to be done but people care and love the way Jesus asked them to. There are millions of people just showing verses on line – but no action comes of it , because they like to use certain verses to only think of themselves – and that’s not what Jesus wants- Care is an action word – and it comes with love one another. Now when are people going to start the care ?? Not the care to profit off one an other – but care for the love we are supposed to have for one an other and Jesus and his words to follow them , not just say them and then turn the back and off to find more money for the endless want of our eyes…That’s the point and everything connects to each other – everything…
Ramon Antonio says
October 27, 2013 at 9:07 PMPrecisely this week I was asked to coordinate a prayer meeting to be held in the next few weeks and I recommended that we use Psalms as the center of prayer. I proposed that Psalms can be divided in three issues:
1. Our personal and familiar relation with God
2. The national world wide relation of mankind with God and
3. The relation with God as creature and creation to Creator.
Everybody accepted this point of view but immediately a psychologist proposed that we focus on the issues that affect us AND THEN turn to the Psalms as a form of prayer.
That’s precisely NOT WHAT I MEANT. Psalms are the issues, PSalms encompass the issues and Psalms are how we should focus the issues. THat is, Psalms revolve around God and we should revolve around God.
I think you get the point by yourself. But its very very difficult to even engage in a conversation focus as this.
Mark McIntyre says
October 28, 2013 at 4:48 AMThanks Ramon. You can’t go wrong with using Psalms as a guide for prayer.
Squishhhhug says
October 27, 2013 at 2:18 PMTruth – FREE WILL – people have it. And then dare to complain about life and the world and all the woes in it, everyone does – they can’t deny it , they cannot deny they sin either – even in their minds. What sticks with me , is that people somehow think Jesus is going to float down in the flesh or giant or whatever else people decided to imagine of him returning… They ignore certain truths in the bible and sort of pick and choose what is more important and what is not. Jesus says to be like himself – and many people dare say they are like him – but do absolutely nothing like him in helping to change the world . WHY ?? They say – does all bad happen in the world , and why doesn’t Jesus and God do something ?? Like what I ask ? What ?? A snap of the fingers to change everything ?? Destruction to change things ?? Well WAKE UP !!! The two edged sword is that of WORDS – loving and harsh with truth – now people know that truth sometimes hurts , and sometimes pleases. So there!! No magic show, No snap of the fingers. And people !! You don’t realize it’s people that have to change ?? And a snap of the fingers to change them would infringer on peoples free will to decide and do change because they want to , not have to like a Judgemental Jesus that some want to think he did . Years I have been telling the truth about myself and what really stops the world with the iniquity that mankind CREATED . WAKE UP . The love of money and those who don’t want to or cannot even have the open mind to change it…. Love itself isn’t going to change people when they love and depend on money more than God and peoples good will and love of each other…Money has to go and be replaced – WAKE UP TO IT ALREADY -or you will end up handing over the world to the anti-christ and wrong new world government on a silver platter… Money has to go – its the only way – and its up to the 7.3 billion people on earth to help US/we get rid of it and set up a system that destroys iniquity and hoarding and all the b.s. that the love of money did. I and We just wait – and if people wait too long – too bad – suffer with it then….
Mark McIntyre says
October 28, 2013 at 4:51 AMSquishhhug, I don’t see the connection between Psalm 13 and money.
markluker says
October 27, 2013 at 12:22 PMyour honesty is an encouragement……
Mark McIntyre says
October 28, 2013 at 4:51 AMThanks Mark.
Debs ❤ says
October 27, 2013 at 8:52 AMOhhhh Mark, this is exactly what I needed today! Thank you for reminding me that there is light at the end of the tunnel….and that light is Jesus!
Mark McIntyre says
October 28, 2013 at 4:54 AMDebs, you’re welcome. Thanks for the encouragement.
Melanie Rigney says
October 27, 2013 at 7:45 AMThanks for your vulnerability… beautifully written. Will add you to my prayer list.
Mark McIntyre says
October 28, 2013 at 4:54 AMMelanie, thanks for your kind words and your prayer.