In the midst of his enemies, and their threats upon his life, David’s heart is filled with sorrow all the day long. In Psalm 13, David expresses the pain of patience. Sometimes we find ourselves waiting so long for the Lord to act on our behalf that it feels like he has forgotten us (e.g., Ps. 10:1, 13:1, 22:1, 42:9). In the midst of his sorrowful waiting, David reminds himself of what’s true: the Lord’s steadfast love for him. Reflecting on the Lord’s love even brings joy and song to David’s sorrowing heart.
Lord, your face is like the sun. When your face shines upon us, we feel the warmth and joy that only a bright and sunshiny day can bring. And yet when the clouds of trials hide your face from us, we’re tempted to blame you, as if the clouds were innocent and the sun was at fault for the dreary day. When we speak of cloudy weather, we say “the sun is hiding” or “the sun hasn’t come out.” In fact, the sun still rises and still shines just as brightly, but the clouds obscure us from seeing all its glory and feeling all its warmth. Truly, the sun remains the same; shining just as brightly, offering all its warmth, maintaining its position as the anchor of our planet and entire solar system.
Forgive us, Lord, for thinking of you as anything but holy, eternally and unchangeably perfect, awesome in power, and steadfast in loving kindness to all. Yet as we resonate with King David in the pain of his patience, we pray: have mercy on us. When we face hardships that go on and on, it feels like you have forgotten us. We know you haven’t, but it feels like you have. Lord, when we find ourselves in these moods, help us, like David, to recall your loyal love. When we face cloudy days (or weeks or months), cheer us with the memory of sunny days gone by. Grant us ultimately to put all our hope in you, our Savior, our Lord, our everything. In Jesus’ name, amen.
