Psalm 13:1 How long wilt thou forget me, O Lord? for ever? How long wilt thou hide thy face from me?
Oh Friends, that’s a question all believers have asked at one time or another in their walk of faith, when everything in their lives seems to be going wrong, when one trial crops up before the previous one is solved, and/or trials just seemingly continue in a never ending stream. All the great men of faith had moments of doubt and insecurity. In Job’s time of misfortune, when he is trying to understand why such catastrophic tribulation had suddenly befallen him, and defending his integrity, he prayerfully declared: ‘How many are mine iniquities and sins? Make me to know my transgression and my sin. Wherefore hidest thou thy face, and holdest me for thine enemy?’ (Job 13:23-24) Even the great Elijah ran scared from Jezebel when she promised revenge, after he killed four hundred and fifty of Baal’s prophets by the brook Kishon. ‘Then Jezebel sent a messenger unto Elijah saying, So let the gods do to me, and more also, if I make not thy life as one of them by tomorrow about this time. And when he saw that, he arose and went (ran) for his life, and came to Beer-sheba which belongeth to Judah, and left his servant there. But he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a juniper (broom) tree: and he requested for himself that he might die; and said, It is enough; now, O Lord, take away my life: for I am not better than my fathers.’ (1 Kings 19:2-4) Ah Friends, we all feel tired, weary and faint in this crazy life, but it’s not reason enough to give up. All we need to do is call out to our God for help and sustenance, and He will most certainly comfort and refresh us, just like he did with Elijah, who was touched by an angel while he slept under the juniper and advised to: ‘Arise and eat;’ And when he arose, food was under the tree. So he ate, then went back to sleep. And the angel woke him a second time: ‘Arise and eat; because the journey is too great for thee. And he arose, and did eat and drink, and went in the strength of that meat (food) forty days and forty nights unto Horeb the mount of God.’ (1 Kings 19:5-8) And there we know he hid in a cave and the Lord asked him what he was doing there and he replied that he was scared because he was the only prophet of the Lord left. And 1 Kings 19:11-18 describes how the Lord caused a violent wind, an earthquake and a fire to pass by him, then in a still small voice, finally convinced him to go back home. Oh my people, Jeremiah was also faced with constant hostility in his walk of faith, even a death plot. ‘But I was like a lamb or an ox that is brought to the slaughter; and I knew not that they had devised devices (schemes) against me, saying, Let us destroy the tree with the fruit thereof, and let us cut him off from the land of the living that his name be no more remembered.’ (Jer.11:19) Oh Friends, when we decide to walk with Jesus, we must be prepared for the great likelihood of suffering for His sake. Later on, poor Jerry had more cause for personal lament; his sorry lot in life and his loneliness. ‘Woe is me, my mother, that thou hast borne me a man of strife, and a man of contention to the whole earth. I have neither lent on usury, nor men have lent me on usury; yet every one of them doth curse me….. Why is my pain perpetual, and my wound incurable, which refuseth to be healed? wilt thou be altogether unto me as a liar and as waters that fail?’ (Jer.15:10,18) Strong language indeed to his God, but his pain was also very real. In both cases though, our understanding Lord offered him comforting replies. ‘The Lord said, Verily it shall be well with thy remnant; verily will I cause the enemy to entreat thee well in the time of evil and in the time of affliction…Therefore thus saith the lord, If thou return, then will I bring thee again, and thou shalt stand before me: and if thou take forth the precious from the vile, thou shalt be as my mouth: let them return unto thee; but return not unto them. And I will make thee unto this people a fenced brazen (fortified bronze) wall; and they shall fight against thee, but they shall not prevail against thee: for I am with thee to save and deliver thee saith the Lord. And I will deliver thee out of the hand of the wicked, and I will redeem thee out of the hand of the terrible.’ (Jer.15:11,19-21) And then we have Bruh David pleading in Psalm 13: ‘How long wilt thou forget me, O Lord? for ever? 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.’ (Ps.13:1-4) Even Jesus felt some trepidation when He knew that His time was at hand. In the Garden of Gethsemane He said to Peter, James and John: ‘My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death: tarry ye here and watch with me.’ Then He went off by Himself and prayed, ‘O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.’ Then He goes and finds the trio sleeping and says to Peter: ‘Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.’ (Mat.26:38,39,41) And right there’s the crux of the matter my people; a willing spirit but weak flesh. Our God didn’t design us to stand alone when the pressures of the world invade our beings. He designed us to walk in consort with Him. That’s why we can’t handle too much adversity on our own. Bruh David understood this principle, that’s why he confidently ended Psalm 13 thus: ‘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.’ (Ps.13:5-6) Yes my Friends, when we feel unable to handle the hard times, our best bet is to cry out to our LOVING Heavenly Father for mercy, and we will undoubtedly receive a favourable response. As Uncle Charles, Charles Stanley likes to say; ‘Obey God and leave all the consequences to Him.’ That’s excellent advice my people. Please, let’s heed it. Much LOVE!…there’s no shame in crying out to God for help… at anytime…
Oh Friends, that’s a question all believers have asked at one time or another in their walk of faith, when everything in their lives seems to be going wrong, when one trial crops up before the previous one is solved, and/or trials just seemingly continue in a never ending stream. All the great men of faith had moments of doubt and insecurity. In Job’s time of misfortune, when he is trying to understand why such catastrophic tribulation had suddenly befallen him, and defending his integrity, he prayerfully declared: ‘How many are mine iniquities and sins? Make me to know my transgression and my sin. Wherefore hidest thou thy face, and holdest me for thine enemy?’ (Job 13:23-24) Even the great Elijah ran scared from Jezebel when she promised revenge, after he killed four hundred and fifty of Baal’s prophets by the brook Kishon. ‘Then Jezebel sent a messenger unto Elijah saying, So let the gods do to me, and more also, if I make not thy life as one of them by tomorrow about this time. And when he saw that, he arose and went (ran) for his life, and came to Beer-sheba which belongeth to Judah, and left his servant there. But he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a juniper (broom) tree: and he requested for himself that he might die; and said, It is enough; now, O Lord, take away my life: for I am not better than my fathers.’ (1 Kings 19:2-4) Ah Friends, we all feel tired, weary and faint in this crazy life, but it’s not reason enough to give up. All we need to do is call out to our God for help and sustenance, and He will most certainly comfort and refresh us, just like he did with Elijah, who was touched by an angel while he slept under the juniper and advised to: ‘Arise and eat;’ And when he arose, food was under the tree. So he ate, then went back to sleep. And the angel woke him a second time: ‘Arise and eat; because the journey is too great for thee. And he arose, and did eat and drink, and went in the strength of that meat (food) forty days and forty nights unto Horeb the mount of God.’ (1 Kings 19:5-8) And there we know he hid in a cave and the Lord asked him what he was doing there and he replied that he was scared because he was the only prophet of the Lord left. And 1 Kings 19:11-18 describes how the Lord caused a violent wind, an earthquake and a fire to pass by him, then in a still small voice, finally convinced him to go back home. Oh my people, Jeremiah was also faced with constant hostility in his walk of faith, even a death plot. ‘But I was like a lamb or an ox that is brought to the slaughter; and I knew not that they had devised devices (schemes) against me, saying, Let us destroy the tree with the fruit thereof, and let us cut him off from the land of the living that his name be no more remembered.’ (Jer.11:19) Oh Friends, when we decide to walk with Jesus, we must be prepared for the great likelihood of suffering for His sake. Later on, poor Jerry had more cause for personal lament; his sorry lot in life and his loneliness. ‘Woe is me, my mother, that thou hast borne me a man of strife, and a man of contention to the whole earth. I have neither lent on usury, nor men have lent me on usury; yet every one of them doth curse me….. Why is my pain perpetual, and my wound incurable, which refuseth to be healed? wilt thou be altogether unto me as a liar and as waters that fail?’ (Jer.15:10,18) Strong language indeed to his God, but his pain was also very real. In both cases though, our understanding Lord offered him comforting replies. ‘The Lord said, Verily it shall be well with thy remnant; verily will I cause the enemy to entreat thee well in the time of evil and in the time of affliction…Therefore thus saith the lord, If thou return, then will I bring thee again, and thou shalt stand before me: and if thou take forth the precious from the vile, thou shalt be as my mouth: let them return unto thee; but return not unto them. And I will make thee unto this people a fenced brazen (fortified bronze) wall; and they shall fight against thee, but they shall not prevail against thee: for I am with thee to save and deliver thee saith the Lord. And I will deliver thee out of the hand of the wicked, and I will redeem thee out of the hand of the terrible.’ (Jer.15:11,19-21) And then we have Bruh David pleading in Psalm 13: ‘How long wilt thou forget me, O Lord? for ever? 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.’ (Ps.13:1-4) Even Jesus felt some trepidation when He knew that His time was at hand. In the Garden of Gethsemane He said to Peter, James and John: ‘My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death: tarry ye here and watch with me.’ Then He went off by Himself and prayed, ‘O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.’ Then He goes and finds the trio sleeping and says to Peter: ‘Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.’ (Mat.26:38,39,41) And right there’s the crux of the matter my people; a willing spirit but weak flesh. Our God didn’t design us to stand alone when the pressures of the world invade our beings. He designed us to walk in consort with Him. That’s why we can’t handle too much adversity on our own. Bruh David understood this principle, that’s why he confidently ended Psalm 13 thus: ‘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.’ (Ps.13:5-6) Yes my Friends, when we feel unable to handle the hard times, our best bet is to cry out to our LOVING Heavenly Father for mercy, and we will undoubtedly receive a favourable response. As Uncle Charles, Charles Stanley likes to say; ‘Obey God and leave all the consequences to Him.’ That’s excellent advice my people. Please, let’s heed it. Much LOVE!…there’s no shame in crying out to God for help… at anytime…
SCRIP-BITS 