Psalm 13

How long, O LORD? Will you forget me forever?

How long will you hide your face from me?

How long must I wrestle with my thoughts and every day have sorrow in my heart?

How long will my enemy triumph over me?

Look on me and answer, O LORD my God. 

Give me light to my eyes, or I will sleep in death; 

my enemy will say, “I have overcome him,” and my foes will rejoice when I fall. 

But I trust in your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation.

I will sing to the LORD, for he has been good to me.

Do you cry out to God on a regular basis? I’ll admit that it usually is not my first response. Often times I think that we decide that it would be too much effort on our parts to give God everything, including our frustrations and the thoughts that we wrestle with. As I look at David’s example, he truly gave God everything. In Psalm 139 it says, “O LORD, you have searched me and you know me. You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways. Before a word is on my tongue you know it completely, O LORD.” 

Yes, God does already know what is on our hearts, but He desires that we choose to surrender it to Him both the good and the bad. David also knew this, and so he brought his requests and cries before the LORD with an open heart. He presented his requests while also proclaiming in verses 5-6, “But I trust in your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation. I will sing to the LORD, for he has been good to me.” When we come before the LORD, let us cry out and bring our requests to Him, but also let us remember to trust in His promises and to proclaim all the good that He has done for us as David did.

Father, I just want to move Your heart. And I know that by opening up and surrendering my heart to You will allow you to do so much more in my life. If my life is to be pleasing to You, then let me cry out to You with all that is in my heart and not hold anything back. Jesus, You desire both the good and the bad. I thank you that You listen to everything that I wrestle and struggle with. You care about each of my successes and failures the way no one else does. Let me continue to pour out my heart, trust in Your unfailing love, and declare all the ways You are good to me. Amen.