There are silly questions we all ask. In Psalm 13 David goes from complaining to praise, but we see some silly questions on his part-questions that need never be asked.
Psalm 13: (1) How long wilt thou forget me, O LORD? for ever? how long wilt thou hide thy face from me? (2) How long shall I take counsel in my soul, having sorrow in my heart daily? how long shall mine enemy be exalted over me? (3) Consider and hear me, O LORD my God: lighten mine eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death; (4) Lest mine enemy say, I have prevailed against him; and those that trouble me rejoice when I am moved. (5) But I have trusted in thy mercy; my heart shall rejoice in thy salvation. (6) I will sing unto the LORD, because he hath dealt bountifully with me.
David asks one question after another without giving God the chance to reply.
How long will I have to take advice from you? Does it seem like God is working in other’s lives and not yours? Why? Do you read the Bible knowing its truth yet can’t get anything out of it? We can find many “reasons” to complain. Christianity is not what it’s advertised to be. Where are joy, peace, green pastures and still waters? The more we ask questions like these, the more we get down. We forget the many, many, many prayers that God has answered and the green pastures to which he led us.
Here is David. He’s the king. He’s the advisor. People came to him, yet he turns to God and asks how long he will need advice. Society today tells us we are enlightened; we can handle things; we do not want to look or appear to need advice; we want to tell others what to do. David didn’t want to feel the need of advice. Even this “man after God’s own heart,” this king who made decisions on a royal level asked how long. We all stand in need of help. We still need to know more about God and the truths of life. The devil knows more than we about the ways of the world. We need the Lord. We don’t have a problem-less life. God doesn’t plow a road that works like a tunnel. We live each day as if in the middle of a hornet’s nest. We have to be aware of everything around us and let the Lord help us.
David needed to realize he was not perfect. We do as well. We won’t get it right all the time. We have to deal with the flesh. In verse 5 David suddenly realizes he has trusted in God’s mercy. He didn’t deserve what God had done for him. Regardless of how valuable we think we are, God existed before we were born. He does not need us, but we need him! We are not perfect; we deal with our Adam nature. BUT by the grace of God and the sacrifice of Jesus Christ we are redeemed.
I need Jesus because I can’t get it all right. I may know lots of things, but I turn around and fail at the very things I should not fail in. There is never a day that I do not need God’s advice. David complains like a child being lectured by his parents thinking to himself “how long am I going to have to listen to this?” We desperately need the lecturing of God. The why is obvious. We don’t seem to learn it the first time.
This led David to ask how long the Lord was going to forget him. Seriously now. Should we ever think that God has forgotten us? He has not forgotten anyone. He’s not ignoring us. The problem is not with God ignoring us, it is us ignoring him.
How long will you hide your face from me? So what? God didn’t answer your prayer the way you thought he should. So what? Something you wanted didn’t take place. Have you heard people say “I tried salvation, and it didn’t work for me?” That’s the problem; there is an attitude problem. The only thing we have to do is trust God. We are hiding from him. We try to hide our thoughts and deeds just like Adam and Eve did when they sewed fig leaves together. How often do you fall flat while on your way to doing wrong? The Lord tripped you, to get your attention. The devil won’t try to keep you from wrong. It’s time to stop hiding.
How long will my enemies be exalted over me? Life has struggles and temptations. Sin will always be around. We have a choice. We listen to the devil or the world and turn around and ask God how long this will go on. So, how long will we need God’s advice? We’ll need it as long as we live.
Although scary in itself, it’s not scary to see the devil face to face. It’s scary when the Lord quits dealing with our heart. Our prayer should be that he never quits giving us advice and along with that pray that we will follow it.
What advice? What will you do with it?
How long will you hide your face? Pray that he doesn’t.
How long will my enemy be smarter than I? It doesn’t matter; we have to lean on the one who is smarter than the enemy.
How long will I need your counsel? As long as it takes.
How about it?
Adwolfe Freewill Baptist Church 