What is He doing?

Have you been there? Is He even listening? Does He really care? Is He too busy? Maybe I just don’t matter as much as so and so? Maybe you are there right now? You have been asking God for answers, and it seems as though your questions are falling on deaf ears. Things are not getting any better. It just seems to drag on and on and on, and still nothing. In fact, things seem to be getting worse. Why does God do that? Why does He not answer?

I have often said that I wish God would do some sky-writing for me, or maybe hand-writing on the wall. Why not a dream that is so clear that there is no question that God was talking to me? He could also send a text or email if He would prefer, but that never happens. In Psalm 13 David is living through one of those times. It becomes obvious pretty quickly that this is something that has been going on for a while. Four times in his prayer David asks the same question: “How long…?” His questions seem to get more and more intense. The first one sounds like it might be a little bit in jest; “Will you forget me forever?”(v.1) Sort of like “come on God, did You forget about me?” Then he asks God “how long will You hide Your face from me?”(v.1)  He then moves on to say something like“God, I’m really struggling with the way I am thinking about all of this(v.2) and then he takes the focus away from God and puts it on the “…enemy that is triumphing over me…”.(v.3)  David wants God to do something, to give him just a little something or else he is going to die and his enemy is going to declare victory. How many times have you asked God for something, just something to give you a little hope. If you could only see the light at the end of the tunnel and know that it is not a freight train heading your way, you will be ok. I’m sure that most all of you have been there or are there now. If you don’t think so, take a look at our prayer list. There are all kinds of examples on that list; people who we have been praying for week after week after week.

Let me give you a few examples:

  • David Jenkins has been battling health issues since I came to this church and before that. How long Lord?
  • Glenna Musgrave has been battling dementia for over a year now. How long Lord?
  • Loretta and George have been working through Loretta’s Ahlzeimers. How long Lord?
  • Ed Askew has been living with pain for more than 2 years. How long Lord?
  • Wendell Hawley and Nancy have also been working through Nancy’s Ahlzeimers. How long Lord?
  • Suzanne Hicks and Myrna Harding both have burdens for their daughters and they pray and we pray. How long Lord?
  • The Stoller family has been struggling with Joe’s ALS and it is not getting better; it is getting worse. How long Lord?
  • Dan Simons and Bruce Faginkrantz have no desire to be with the people of the Lord. How long Lord?

I could go on and on, but do you get the picture? What is God doing? Twice David mentions his enemy to God. Who is that enemy? Was it king Saul? Perhaps. Was it Satan tormenting him? Possibly. I tend to think that it was the enemy of doubt and fear and the absence of hope. That will exhaust you! That will make you want to quit! That will bring you to the brink of sleeping in death! The God who was with David when he slew the lion and the bear; the God who was with David when he killed Goliath and removed his head; that God seems to be missing, but is He? Of course not! What is missing is David’s trust in God’s unfailing love. David had forgotten. It is almost as though after David has asked all of his questions and voiced his complaints, that he remembers something at the end of verse 4. David says: “But I trust in Your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in Your salvation.”(v.5) David forgot! He remembers the amazing love of God that never ceases. He remembers God’s salvation, God’s salvation, and he rejoices! Have the problems behind the questions gone away? Probably not, at least not the perceived problems. King Saul may have very well still been out to kill him, but David remembers and trusts in the unfailing love of God. He remembers all that God has done for him. He remembers God’s salvation!!! Do you trust Him? Has God changed? NO!! Your circumstances may have changed, but don’t ever forget that your circumstances do not alter the character of God.

So how did David get through this difficult time? He sang to the LORD. He praised God! He looked back over his life and he remembered God’s unfailing love. David sings out “He has been good to me.”

As I was finishing this up I thought “I think I have written from Psalm 13 previously, and sure enough it was last year in April right after the pandemic had disrupted everything. Here we are, still in the pandemic, so that begs two questions: “How long Lord?” and “What is He doing?”  I don’t know and I am not going to pretend to know, but I do know this: God is up to something. Look for His hand as you go through your days and weeks and when you get discouraged and confused, trust in His unfailing love and rejoice in His salvation.

Praying for each of you!
Jerry