Life hurts and life is hard. If you’re too young to feel the pain of COVID-19, I hate to say it but one day life will press you and squeeze you and what will come out of you are questions. Like the questions in Psalm 13: “How long, Lord? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me? How long must I wrestle with my thoughts and day after day have sorrow in my heart? How long will my enemy triumph over me?”
In other words, where are you, oh God? Are you there?
Why is the Psalmist asking these questions? Because what is present and what is palpable is pain. What is present is sorrow. What is present is the enemy. What is present is pain. So, God, where are you?
Knowing the power of God, the Psalmist moves to request: “Look on me and answer, Lord my God. Give light to my eyes, or I will sleep in death, and my enemy will say, “I have overcome him,” and my foes will rejoice when I fall.”
In other words, God, you can hear me and answer me. So please do. You can give me light and life. So please do. You can defeat my enemy. So please do.
Now, Psalm 13 does not end with God giving a solid answer or taking the pain away or defeating the enemy. How it ends is fascinating and shows us what we need in the midst of pain. We need the King over pain, the King over sorrow, the King over the enemy, to say, “I love you.” The Psalmist prays, “But I trust in your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation. I will sing the Lord’s praise, for he has been good to me.”
In other words, even though in the pain the circumstances haven’t changed, there is solid ground to stand on. There is a reality that comforts. There is something that gives hope. There is something that creates joy. The King is saying, “I love you”. He isn’t giving specific answers. But he is giving the answer you need. In the midst of the pain, the sorrow, the attack, the King has steadfast love for me; the King saves; the King is worthy of worship; the King has been good to me.
In the chaos, in the pain, in the sorrow, in the darkness, in the uncertainty, listen to the King who stands over it all speak the word of His love for you. Fix your gaze on Jesus, the King, crucified and risen for you, and you will hear of His love for you. And if the King loves you, you’re OK. It will be OK. He’s got it. He’s got this. He’s got you.
