How Long Wilt Thou Forget Me, O Lord?

Thought for Today - April 26
How Long Wilt Thou Forget Me, O Lord?
By: Robert A. Searles

      “How long wilt thou forget me,  O Lord?  Forever?  How long wilt thou hide thy face from me?  How long shall I take counsel in my soul, having sorrow in my heart daily?  How long shall mine enemy be exalted over me?  Consider and hear me, O Lord   my God: lighten mine eyes lest I sleep the sleep of death; lest mine enemy say, I Have prevailed against him; and those that trouble me rejoice when I am moved.  But I have trusted in thy mercy, my heart shall rejoice in thy salvation. I will sing unto the  lord, because he hath dealt bountifully with me.” Psalm 13 

     There are times in all our lives when it seems that the Lord has forgotten us, and abandoned us to the mercies of the world, the flesh, and the devil.  This was true in David's life, a man who was a chosen vessel unto God, and a man after God's own heart, and it is true also in our lives as well.

     When we are left without the fellowship and nearness of the Lord we are prone to sorrow, despair, and depression, and it seems that the world, the flesh, and the devil presses in upon us.  It seems that our enemy, the devil is exalted over us. sometimes our eyes are blinded to the presence of God by some sin in our lives, or the failure on our part to carry out a vow or a promise that we have made to him.  Sometimes it is because we  have not read God's message to us from his word, or have not been in proper communication with him through prayer, and have not been listening to the voice of the Holy Spirit speaking to our hearts.  Sometimes, I believe, God is testing us to see if we really believe in him, and trust him in times when he obscures himself from us for a little while.

     God always honors our faith in his word when we have nothing else but the word of his promise, and we just simply believe for no other reason than just because it is written in God's word.  God sees our faith and counts it as righteousness.

     Though David felt far from God, though he felt that God was hiding his face from him and  abandoning him, yet he knew and believed the promises of God's word that his mercy endureth forever, and that he would never leave nor forsake him.  So, David kept pounding on God's door, as it were, even though it seemed that God was not at home for a little while.

     Even before the joy of David's salvation was returned to him, even before his fellowship with God was restored, David believed and trusted in the mercy of God, and he knew that his heart would once again rejoice in the salvation of the Lord.  He said: “I will sing unto the lord, because he hath dealt bountifully with me.”

     When we feel that God has forgotten us, and that he is hiding his face from us, and has abandoned us, when we sense that our enemy, the devil is exalted over us; lets remember the written promises of the word of God that his mercy endureth forever, and that he will never leave us not forsake us.  Lets examine ourselves to see if there be any sin in our lives that needs to be confessed.  Lets read God's messages to us through his word over and over to see if we have missed any important information from God.  Lets stay in constant communication with God through prayer, and lets be constantly on the alert to hear God speak to our hearts by the Holy Spirit.

     Then at times when it seems that God is not at home, lets keep pounding on God's door anyway, and even before our fellowship and joy is restored, lets trust in the mercy of God and rejoice in our renewed fellowship with God, even before we have it.  This is faith.  God honors faith and counts our faith as righteousness.  Lets lift up our hearts and sing unto the Lord, because he hath dealt bountifully with us no matter how we might feel at the moment/

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