"When I Feel Forgotten" - Looking Again at Psalm 13

(1) Introduction

This seems a very honest psalm. David feels alone and forgotten … forgotten even by God. We at times during the journey of life can feel alone, forgotten, and even have this sense that God is not with us anymore. What should we do at times like this?

The psalmist David seems to be suffering under spiritual turmoil and human grief. David also feels oppressed by those opposing his progress in life. What would he do in these circumstances? What would David’s strategy be?

We too need a strategy when we feel the way David did in verses 1 & 2 – a ready response that we can almost automatically apply. Let us quickly see how David approached this, to see if we might do the same.

There is a clear three phase approach in this psalm. There is firstly the expression of need (v.1-2) that we have already spoken about. Then there follows a prayerful response to that need (v.3-4). Then thirdly there is a changed reality being spoken of (v.5-6).

Whereas this psalm would have been written by David in response to a certain specific incident or experience (or series of incidents), we can easily see and appreciate the relevance of these words to us! We might also see and appreciate the basic strategy that was used to get through the feelings of aloneness and suffering. There is here for us to consider … a battle of the soul and a stern test of faith, but also, where intense agitation transitions to a trusting sense of calm.

(2) Need

Human beings, even people of strong faith, can experience a sense of isolation or loneliness. People can also come to project this onto God and think that God is idle or even dead, or just indifferent to them. And once you have known God it is unthinkable to have to try to live and survive the everyday rigors without God (this would be too hazardous to contemplate).

"How long, O Lord? Will you forget me for ever? How long will you hide your face from me? How long must I bear pain in my soul, and have sorrow in my heart all day long? How long shall my enemy be exalted over me?"

There is a great weight of burden expressed here, overbearing despair and uncertainty. We can see from the repeated use of the words “How long…” that these agonizing feelings were persisting, the psalmist feeling that he had been enduring this way too long! This agony surely can’t be allowed to go on much longer! And at the conclusion of verse 2 there is the feeling of getting very small … while everyone else around appears to be getting very big.

This is how “The Message” paraphrases verses 1 & 2:
"Long enough, God – you’ve ignored me long enough. I’ve looked at the back of your head long enough. Long enough I’ve carried this ton of trouble, lived with a stomach full of pain. Long enough my arrogant enemies have looked down their noses at me."

While we might not really have enemies (although there may be some who take delight in bringing us down); it could be though that while we feel forgotten like this, we think that everybody we meet is trying to get one up on us, and that every word spoken is being said negatively against us, or that we have to compete with others for the attention and credit we need.

Reading between the lines, we can sense that David felt that no-one understood, and he was strongly regretting this experience of not being able to go forward in life; and David was trying to fathom out why this would be the case.

One answer would be that all this is part of the human condition … being a human being in the world where all sorts of unfortunate things happen; a world where, because people have made up their own minds what agendas to pursue (and ignored God’s agenda), many situations are far from ideal.

We cannot easily cope with everything life throws up. But, of course, even knowing this does not lessen the pain. Thus we need other coping mechanisms to be in place.

In the clear light of day, we would realize that God can’t actually forget about us because this is contrary to the covenants that God has made with humanity. No matter how real the feelings are, comments along the lines of ‘God has left me’ or ‘Jesus has forgotten me’ cannot actually be substantiated on the basis of scripture, quite the opposite.

[We would have to be careful to say though, that feelings exactly like this can be tangibly present! And where such feelings are expressed by someone, like they are in this psalm, they need to be approached with great sensitivity.]

Sometimes such feelings might derive from wrong beliefs about God, like for instance … God will give you everything you want, or … God will bail you out of every dilemma straight away! Also, sometimes being forgotten about by other people is projected onto God as God’s fault or doing.

So, what is David’s strategy, and what can be our strategy???

(3) Prayer

Such feelings that go so deep, as expressed in this psalm, are not going away. What should we do? In my heart of hearts I know that God is there, loves me, cares for me, wants the best for me, and is available to listen to me! So I should pray! Should pray, or will pray?

It may have taken supreme effort for David to pray here given his feelings, but he made that effort! The psalmist prayed – but what did he pray for??

"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."

Firstly, we would have to say that this prayer was completely and vividly honest, and reflected the sort of urgency the psalmist was feeling. For David, having feelings of God being absent was an experience of death. Because of the power of his enemies, not feeling able to connect with God was devastating. The psalmists witness to God (in the world) was being compromised and potentially destroyed. David was used to intimacy with God, and this feeling of distance was too much to take. The absence of God is the definition of ‘hell’! It was an experience of darkness where ‘light for the eyes’ was most needed. David needed new perspective and guidance; so this is simply what he prayed for … “light”.

The very act of praying, reestablishes where our faith stands. We are truly not alone. Because, after all, prayer is communication … talking with God. In the midst of confusing feelings, to say “O Lord my God” reestablishes intimate relationship with a personal God (who is also comprehensive enough to bring about enormous change). There is hope! We know that through faith what seems impossible can come to be. The finding of one’s voice brings relief. So the psalmist prays for the sort of “light” that will bring enlightenment and new perspective. David will be able to start making sense of the things happening around him and within him, and thereby re-ignite the journey of recovery and growth.

[Also, as a bonus, as we are more open to God through prayer, as a result we become more open to other people (who can also bring us light).]

This will probably not happen as easily as you can count 1, 2, 3! This will be a process over time of naming your need, praying regularly for guidance, and maintaining your faith. But this is certainly a process worth beginning, unless you want to remain stuck where you are in verses 1 & 2.

For all of us this is a reminder of bringing our every need before God, not ever thinking that God can’t help. We should actually affirm in our minds that God can help, and that we know Jesus cares for us; asking God to be active in this area of our life – knowing that God will bring about good outcomes; and claiming God’s peace to take away our fear. You can ask for God’s “light” to shine into the darkness that obscures your hope.

(4) Worship

And part of the process of growth there will be a commitment to (start or) keep worshipping while God’s answer is on its way.

The very act of placing feelings of pain into prayerful words has reestablished confidence in God. The complete answer had probably not yet come to David, but the dynamic of prayer had reinvigorated a desire to worship.

‘I have prayed and God will act, and in fact is already acting!’ ‘One thing for sure, God has touched me within, quieted my spirit.’ ‘My eyes are beginning to sparkle again!’

So worship of God should never be postponed until you feel better, have received God’s answer, or finally get around to it. Both personal and corporate forms of worship should be maintained as a regular determined habit. Whether we worship or not should never be based on whether we feel like it or not, or can get up in time or not, but rather be based on a commitment to participate in it no matter what.

Sometimes worship is treated like singing the club song after a big win … worship only has its place for us after prayer has been successful. Rather, worship itself should be part of the process of going forward.

The psalmist David again placed his trust and confidence in God’s unconditional love for him through prayer, and as he did so, his heart welled up in songs of joy for the liberation he was immersed in. There are the beginnings of a spiritual revelation here! Prayer transforms the loneliness, pain, sorrow and fear of verse 1 into the worshipping confidence of verse 6. It’s like this sorrow and pain being confidently submerged into singing and the practice of worship, and this being part of the answer to the psalmist’s prayer for new perspective.

"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."

David will allow these songs of joy to come vocally out of his mouth. He will take his rejoicing into the ‘house of God’ and let rip; because as he does so God is changing him back into the ‘image of God’ and ‘person of Christ’ he was born to represent. Verse 6 represents a vow or promise concerning our basic attitude to God … ‘I will worship God – because of the relationship that God has begun with me’. Yes I’m a sinner, yes I’ve made mistakes, yes I feel awkward and frustrated and despairing at times, but I’m going to sing words of praise to the One who loves me despite all this, to the God who has forgiven me and who is in the process (right now) of answering my prayers.

We “sing to the Lord” because God has “dealt bountifully” with us. God has been patient, understanding and long-suffering with us. God has listened to us over and over again. For God’s dealings with us to be described as “bountiful” this would indicate that this activity was well above our expectations.

As ‘the church’ raises its collective voice in praise and worship of God, God’s plans for ‘her’ welfare and mission are already going forward.