Suffering time
One of the novel innovations of a movie that was on circuit a few years ago was a filming technique called "bullet-time." The movie slowed the action down so that you could see the bullets going along at a snails pace as they flew through the air, allowing the hero to literally duck bullets.
In this Psalm David wrestles with the reality of "Suffering Time." For him it feels as though the test he is going through is lasting forever and that no end is in sight. This is a classic private lament psalm, briefly, but thoroughly exploring the terrible reality of pain and sorrow and the depression one can go through in the midst of tragedy and sadness.
Let's see how David experiences it...
- It feels like it has been going on forever.
- It feels as though God is intentionally hiding from him.
- His mind is endlessly running around in circles leaving him exhausted.
- His enemy (whether a physical enemy or his depression) keeps getting the upper hand.
- He fears that he may get lost and succumb to the way he is feeling.
- He doesn't want the enemy to triumph and gloat. He realises that he will be humiliated.
Have you felt like this at some point?
David makes some important choices to see him through this difficult depressive time.
- He chooses to trust. He lights a candle of hope. He dares to believe that this suffering time is a distortion of reality and there will be a time that he gets through it.
- He makes a heart decision to focus on God's saving acts. He focuses on God's character from what he knows rather than from what he feels.
- He chooses to sing. Singing is something we do with our hearts and not with our heads. The wonder about singing is that the words of the songs become imprinted on our souls at a level that even our cynical thought patterns cannot erase or erode. David chooses to sing about God's goodness and provision. Singing is something we can do in the valley even when we find it hard to pray. It is the ultimate act of faith and trust.
Lord thank You that David's psalm relates so closely to the blues we can go through. Thank you that even our "down" times do not catch You by surprise and that You have made provision for them. Help us to trust-fully turn our hearts to You and sing of Your goodness. Amen
| 1 How long, O LORD? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me? 2 How long must I wrestle with my thoughts and every day have sorrow in my heart? How long will my enemy triumph over me? 3 Look on me and answer, O LORD my God. Give light to my eyes, or I will sleep in death; 4 my enemy will say, I have overcome him, and my foes will rejoice when I fall. 5 But I trust in your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation. 6 I will sing to the LORD, for he has been good to me. (Psalms13:1-6) |
[This brings us to the end of this series - I hope it has been helpful to you. I'm going to take a break from EmmDevs for a while - I may do a short series just before Christmas, otherwise I'll see you in January! God bless and Love, Theo ]
