Psalm Devotional
From Disarray to Doxology
Psalm 13 instructs us how to respond to despair. And lives will mimic that of the psalmist; they will include disarray, dependence, deliverance, and doxology.
The psalm begins with the psalmist in utter despair. Out of the depths of his despair, he asks four rhetorical questions, all commencing with, “How long?”
The psalmist provides contours to his despair by means of a threefold description. First, he is in despair regarding his relationship to God. He states that God has forgotten him and hidden His face from him. The psalmist is experiencing a covenantal crisis, as he no longer senses the promise of the Aaronic blessing (Num. 6:24-26). Second, his despair is internal. It is impacting his mind and heart. Third, his despair is external. He is under attack by enemies, including death itself. Clearly, the psalmist is experiencing profound disarray, despair, and abandonment.
Take a moment to consider how the psalmist responds to his crisis. He does not deny his despair, nor does he attribute it to his own disobedience. He does not hide his emotions from God. Christianity is not Stoicism. The psalmist does not grin and bear it. Instead, he voices his suffering by lamenting to the sovereign God. This is the piety of the psalmist, and it is exemplary for us as we deal with despair.
