July 15, 2020
Psalm 13 - A Lament
Usquequo, Domine?
1
How long, O LORD?
will you forget me for ever? *
   how long will you hide your face from me?

2
How long shall I have perplexity in my mind,
and grief in my heart, day after day? *
   how long shall my enemy triumph over me?

3
Look upon me and answer me, O LORD my God; *
   give light to my eyes, lest I sleep in death;

4
Lest my enemy say, "I have prevailed over him," *
   and my foes rejoice that I have fallen.

5
But I put my trust in your mercy; *
   my heart is joyful because of your saving help.

6
I will sing to the LORD, for he has dealt with me richly; *
   I will praise the Name of the Lord Most High.
Did you know that one of the forms our psalms take is a lament? Laments capture our disorientation, our feeling separated from God when we’re going through a difficult time. Notice how there is an opening cry that both addresses God and contains the complaint, two of the elements of classic lament structure. The words “how long?’” are repeated four times. This psalmist must be feeling at the end of her rope! I wonder if that is how you might be feeling? When will this pandemic ever end? It’s okay to feel that way. It’s okay to be frustrated with God, even angry. God can take it. Even Jesus weeps from time to time.

But notice in Verse 5, it breaks through to a confession of trust. Even though God may feel far away now, the psalmist remembers that God has been there for her in the past and she is drawing on that memory. Finally, in Verse 6, a vow of praise is offered. It’s in the future tense. Even though I am struggling right now, I know that I will end up singing to the Lord who is my saving help.

Yours in Christ,

The Rev. Ann Gillespie