Three Portraits of a Troubled Heart - Psalm 13

Intro

When life hits with many sorrowful events how do we react?

What we do during these difficult moments of life?

We ask questions to God?

     David’s circumstance is not clearly described for us clearly in this psalm – in one sense it is good for us. We can apply this psalm to any of our life situations.

      Are you going through any painful situation currently in your life? If then Read the following lines and allow God to speak to your situation and find healing and comfort from this psalm. 

Psalm 13

A Psalm of David. (ESV) 

1 How long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever?

    How long will you hide your face from me?

2 How long must I take counsel in my soul

    and have sorrow in my heart all the day?

How long shall my enemy be exalted over me?

3 Consider and answer me, O Lord my God;

    light up my eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death,

4 lest my enemy say, “I have prevailed over him,”

    lest my foes rejoice because I am shaken.

5 But I have trusted in your steadfast love;

    my heart shall rejoice in your salvation.

6 I will sing to the Lord,

    because he has dealt bountifully with me.

 

 The stanzas seem to decrease in their magnitude or turmoil. At first, David cries out in anguish. Then he offers a gentler petition. Finally, he rests in the joy of knowing that God will answer him.

The psalm falls into three stanzas of two verses each: 1. The condition (13:1‑2); 2. The cry (13:3‑4); 3. The celebration (13:5‑6).

 1. Condition of our Hearts vv 1-2

 

·       We feel forgotten v.1a

God seems to be far away and we feel forgotten

What experience in your life makes you feel that you’re forgotten by God?

Feeling of estrangement due to sin?

 

·       We feel forsaken v.1b

God allows difficult situations to form our character. Sometimes feeling lonely is good, at least we get back to God from our despair

We often feel isolated from the human relationship and also from God himself.

Sorrowful v 2b

Subdued by enemies – 2c

Usually, our response could be: To waste our time not doing anything useful or we could work too much (workaholic) to hide our emotions.

 

Illus: A Scottish pastor was sharing in one of his sermons, that he will not do the following things when he is sad:

·       Not making any major decisions.

·       Not to write any letters.

·       Not to judge my spiritual life.

·       Not to judge others spiritual life.    

 2. Cry of our Hearts vv 3-4

It’s not a matter of why we cry? but to whom do we direct our cry?  v.3

Do we comfort direct our cries to God? He alone is concerned to listen to our cries and answer us in any situation.

 

Illus - My friend from Bangalore – who lost his mother and sister during this lockdown time. Lost his mother-in-law too in a month’s time and the whole family was grieving the loss of their loved ones.  It is really hard and painful to go through such grief in life.  

 

·       Our Heart before God v 3a

How genuine and real are we before God?

Do we pretend everything is fine in our lives?

Someone said: "The Heart of the matter is the matter of the heart".

 

·        Our Discouragements/ Disappointments/ Darkness v 3b,4

It can be any circumstance in our life. Bring to God and cry unto him.

we have plenty of examples in the bible who have gone through pain and sorrow in their hearts.

1.Elijah – 1 king 19 – depressed – we know the context who was Elijah in 1 kings 18.

2.Hannah – 1 sam 1

v.  3 Light up my eyes.

Hannah – her countenance changed.

Illus – famous Christian hymn - lines

When darkness veils His lovely face,

I rest on His unchanging grace;

In every high and stormy gale,

My anchor holds within the veil.

On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand;

All other ground is sinking sand,

All other ground is sinking sand.

3. Celebration of our Hearts vv 5-6

How can we celebrate when we are sorrowful?

How is it possible to rejoice in God when everything around us looks bleak and hopeless?

I believe only a believer in Christ can rejoice in all circumstances. (Phil 4)  

It needs lots of grace from God. 

Illus – I know a student in the college where I teach who is a good singer. She plays guitar and sings. Recently one student who was attending an online class – passed away a couple of weeks back. His death was sudden – and an early one.  This person was from the same village and  Knew him very well. And her heart was deeply saddened and she refused to sing that morning.

David’s situation did not change but his perspective changed. This is what God expects from us too.

3 reasons for celebration

·       Trusting in God’s Steadfast love v. 5a

·       Rejoicing in His salvation v 5

·       Singing, because of his goodness v 6

 

Conclusion

How about the condition of our hearts as we read this psalm?

Are we really able to sing to the Lord joyfully? Or do we pretend before others?

Bible gives us hope - Only in New heaven and in new earth – storms will be finally stilled – no more cry – no more pain.

Jesus said in john 16:33

“I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world, you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world”.

Illus: Recently in 2020 I was attending AIPC (All India Pastors conference) I came across a book named the valley of vision – edited by Arthur Bennet. prayers of the puritans. Few lines that comforted me are as follows:

“that the valley is the place of vision. Lord,

in the daytime, stars can be seen from deepest wells,

and the deeper the wells the brighter thy stars shine;

Let me find thy light in my darkness,

thy life in my death,

thy joy in my sorrow,

thy grace in my sin,

thy riches in my poverty

thy glory in my valley”.

 

Application  

1. Cry unto God – Be real & honest in your emotions before God.

2.Learn to rejoice and Sing in all circumstances. 

God bless!

 

Who can understand my Loneliness?

The pain of loneliness is true. On the face of life’s disappointments every individual faces loneliness in this life. The emptiness of wondering what lies ahead, and what the future holds is bothering to many of us. The fear that uncertain times and changes in life, children grow, people move, close ones leaves us and loss happens in the business. We feel we are left alone.

The pain of loneliness is no respecter of age, beauty, profession or lifestyle. It can strike a young child at preschool and it can hit the elderly after the loss of a spouse. It can affect the college student, who is new on campus, the graduate who is just starting out in life, the married couple growing apart and the divorcee facing life alone. It affects the rich, poor and it even affects the famous celebrity’s. 

At a conference Reed Hastings, the CEO of Netflix, offered a purpose statement for his entertainment industry: “Fundamentally, we’re about eliminating loneliness and boredom. That’s what entertainment does."

The entertainment industry expects us to see boredom as bad, which is why advertisers, sponsors, filmmakers, and game-makers collaborate to create shows, movies, and games that will capture our attention and keep us preoccupied. Lot of children and young adults in our nation have taken captive by the gaming industry.

Bunch of young people vent out their boredom and loneliness by consuming alcohol, drugs and many more substance. And few think if they can budge themselves in peer pressure and going to dance party’s they can get rid of this problem.

Bible tells in Proverbs 14:12 “There is a way that appears to be right, but in the end it leads to death”. Let us beware of not going in the wrong paths.

Loneliness is a real problem. Some comfort for those in loneliness can come through love of friends and family, a companionship built on commitment to a person’s good. To some extent it can ease the pain of loneliness. But for sure it is not the permanent fix.

A Truly Connected Life

A Truly connected life must not be defined by internet access or phone usage by gluing ourselves to social Medias such as Facebook and Watsapp. It’s the life where we are connected to God and to one another, where we know our real worth is. Saint Augustine of Hippo has said like this “You have made us for yourself, O Lord, and our heart is restless until it rests in you.” 

The antidote for loneliness is close relationship with Jesus Christ. You may ask at this juncture who is He? The best place to start with is reading the Bible and get to know Him personally. As we get to know Him more in our lives, our thinking will be gradually transformed. He gives the inner peace which the world cannot offer to us. His abiding presence in our lives will be suffice to face any kinds of turmoil in life.  Jesus said like this in John 10:10b “I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly”.

Jesus Christ can change our hearts and minds if we are letting Him to do that. He works to bring about good things, clear paths, new beginnings, full lives in us. He assures us that we are not alone! Jesus has said “And surely I am (Jesus) with you always, to the very end of the age.” Mat 28:20b (Bible).

Why don’t you TRUST Him and experience the real peace.

Jesus is the answer to the cry of our lonely hearts!