“How long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me? How long must I bear pain[a] in my soul, and have sorrow in my heart all day long? How long shall my enemy be exalted over me? Consider and answer me, O Lord my God! Give light to my eyes, or I will sleep the sleep of death, and my enemy will say, “I have prevailed”; my foes will rejoice because I am shaken. But I trusted in your steadfast love; my heart shall rejoice in your salvation. I will sing to the Lord, because he has dealt bountifully with me.” Psalm 13

“The 13th psalm is a psalm of prayer against the sorrow or sadness of the spirit that comes at times from the devil himself, or at times from those who act against us with spite and evil tricks. As a result, we are cast down and grieve when we see such evil aligned against us. But prayer is stronger than all misfortune. This psalm gives us an example by which we certainly may be comforted and learn in every kind of calamity not to become anxious or downcast, nor let these troubles eat at our hearts. Instead, we learn to turn to prayer, crying to God about all of these things. We know that we will be heard and finally be delivered, as James 5:13 also says: “Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray.” This psalm belongs in the Second Commandment and the First and Last Petitions, that we may be delivered from evil.” (Martin Luther, Reading the Psalms with Luther)

“How long Lord — How long?” This is more of an idiomatic expression used in the scriptures — because we trust that the Lord knows all — and we trust that the Lord has a timeline in mind. We, however, will never know G-d fully enough to have any idea of when — we just trust that it will be done. Amen.

The protection, refuge, and safety the writer once experienced in his life seems to have vanished. But even though he asks “How long”, his trust betrays his lament. The writer knows that all will be accomplished — but when, where, how and through whom often leaves us wanting.

This is a common feeling that most experience. When things go wrong or trouble comes, many times we say the very words, “Where is G-d?” What happened to the Lord watching over us? Why is G-d hiding G-d’s face? How long, Lord? No matter how long, we trust in your deliverance.

PRAYER

Lord Jesus, who by Your incarnation was a Man of Sorrows and acquainted with grief, graciously remember us who are yet walking in this vale of tears and who must enter Your kingdom through many tribulations. As You have promised to be with Your own and to support them to the end, grant us Your Holy Spirit, the Spirit of joy and of peace, to comfort our hearts and the hearts of all Your afflicted Christians with Your everlasting comfort. Amen.

“Help, O Lord, for there is no longer anyone who is godly; the faithful have disappeared from humankind. They utter lies to each other; with flattering lips and a double heart they speak. May the Lord cut off all flattering lips, the tongue that makes great boasts, those who say, “With our tongues we will prevail; our lips are our own—who is our master?” “Because the poor are despoiled, because the needy groan, I will now rise up,” says the Lord; “I will place them in the safety for which they long.” The promises of the Lord are promises that are pure, silver refined in a furnace on the ground, purified seven times. You, O Lord, will protect us; you will guard us from this generation forever. On every side the wicked prowl, as vileness is exalted among humankind.” Psalm 12

“The 12th psalm is a psalm of prayer. It laments over the teachers who are always inventing new little discoveries and filling up God’s kingdom everywhere with these new services to God. For where human doctrine once goes in, there is no stop or end to it; they increase more and more. These new inventions load down the poor conscience beyond all limit and work so that few true saints may remain. Against all this, the psalm comforts us that God will awaken His salvation, that is, His Word, which confidently storms against this work of straw. He will free the imprisoned conscience. This does not happen, however, without cross and agony. As silver is purified in the fire, so the saints also must suffer in the meantime, and by this means become ever more pure and perceive the truth so much more clearly. This psalm belongs in the Second and Third Commandments and the First and Second Petitions.” (Martin Luther, Reading the Psalms with Luther)

The passage begins with a lamentation, an expression of sadness and grief: “Help, O Lord, for there is no longer anyone who is godly; the faithful have disappeared from humankind.” The writer is asking an important question: “Where are all the faithful people? Have they died? Have they ceased the activity of faith? Where are they?” We hear a similar lament from the prophet Micah: “The godly have been swept from the land; not one upright man remains.” (Micah 7:2). Now this may only be “poetic hyperbole”, but it is the genuine emotion of the godly for thousands of years.

I know the people of G-d’s today feel the same way — because I hear the lament often. If we are G-d’s people, we place great value on honesty, personal morality, modesty, generosity, prayer, and following the Scriptures. But in this day and age, we see how things have become perverted. We are saddened when we see the faithful fail, the godly retreat. Every child of G-d lives with the reality of the absence of godliness all around us. As Martin Luther writes, “As silver is purified in the fire, so the saints also must suffer in the meantime…” No, we do not like to hear about suffering, but we live in the confidence that G-d will be victorious in the end — that Jesus will bring about the Kingdom of G-d.

PRAYER

O Lord, our God, the Lord of hosts, guard us that we err not from the way of truth, and keep us from the temptation to sit where the mockers sit. Preserve us in the faith of Your Son, and a walk of godliness all the days of our pilgrimage. Be with us when we must walk among the wicked, surrounded by so many evil examples, and keep us from the evil. Amen.