June 23 Sermon: When God Seems Silent
Join us as we explore Psalm 13. In this week’s message, we delve into the legitimacy of lament in our spiritual lives. We're reminded that it's okay to express our deepest sorrows and frustrations to God, just as David did. The psalm's progression from despair to hope teaches us a valuable lesson: lament, pray, trust, and rejoice. This pattern shows us how to navigate difficult times while maintaining our faith. The key is understanding God's 'hesed' - His covenant love that never fails. Even when we feel forgotten or abandoned, we can trust in God's faithfulness and persist in prayer. This message encourages us to build a deep knowledge of God's character, allowing us to stand firm in life's challenges and ultimately rejoice in His steadfast love.
Consider these questions as you listen to this message on Psalm 13:
Why is it important to express our true feelings, even doubts or complaints, to God?
How can persistent prayer impact our relationship with God during times of hardship?
What does David’s transition from lament to trust teach us about the nature of God's steadfast love?
Transcript:
We've all been in situations where we feel that we can't just say how we feel. Maybe it's a meeting at work or a discussion you're having with a friend, a spouse, or a parent. But we just feel that we can't say what we really feel in that moment. We have something that we feel deeply. We want to express it. But as it approaches our tongues, we stop. And we think it might be a better idea not to let it get past our lips. It probably isn't beneficial for us to put out there what we are thinking and feeling. Now, I'm not talking about a... quick, hot burst of emotion here. I'm talking about something that has been on our mind for quite a while. We've considered it.
This is something that you've really labored over. But you might slam on the brakes of your tongue for many reasons. But most likely, it's because you have doubts about what good sharing any of those feelings might be. Or... Or it could be because you don't feel you're in a position where you really should be sharing those feelings. Maybe the person you are speaking to is in a position of authority. And you feel it just isn't your place to be speaking your mind. Perhaps you're like me. And you've found yourself in a position such as I've been describing as you speak to God. You're going through a difficult time. And you're wondering why you are experiencing... a particular hardship. Now, you aren't stopping your belief that God is sovereign. And that He will work these situations together for good. But you're starting to feel... as though what you are facing is... particularly difficult. And of course you know that God knows your deepest thoughts anyway. He knows your desires. But you just can't bring yourself to pray... to pray... how you really feel. Praying in a way that expresses these feelings. You won't say it as you pray it in your mind. And you most certainly wouldn't let it come out of your mouth. You wouldn't let it pass the tip of your tongue and pray it out loud. Well, something that the book of Psalms does for us... is it shows us a range of emotions. You know, we generally think of psalms of praise and psalms of joy. We might also think of some of the messianic psalms... and how they prophetically point to the Lord Jesus Christ. And recently in the last few weeks... we've seen psalms calling out for justice. Asking for God to act in defense of His people.
But some of the most powerful emotions... that we see in the psalms... and I think they're some of the psalms we most easily forget... are these psalms that are statements... of lament. And the psalmist is wondering... what is going on that I'm experiencing this hardship? Why is this happening to me? Well, today we arrive in Psalm 13. And we see a powerful statement of lament here... that's more than a concern... for what David sees going on in the world. In the last few weeks we've seen him lament... the oppression that was happening. But here... we see a very powerful lament... and it is a personal statement... Think about what we heard that David said. Will you forget me forever? And he also said... How long will you hide your face from me? Now we might feel bad... speaking to God and asking... Why me? But here in these statements from David... we see him wondering... why this is happening. And he not only is asking... Why me? He says... He's saying that he feels like he's been abandoned by God. So let's line out this short passage for ourselves... and then we'll get into some of these ideas... and see where it ends up. So the first thing that we see... as we look at this passage... is the legitimacy of lament. And this is what I've been talking about... for the last couple minutes here. We often feel guilty... expressing how we feel. Even to God. The one who knows our thoughts and our desires... but here in this psalm... we get deep... raw expressions of sadness... and feeling abandoned. And even David questioning God. And then as the passage continues... we see the necessity... of persistence in prayer. Now even though David is asking... these difficult questions of God... he is still persistent... in making his request to God. He continues to speak to him... and then finally... we see how trusting in God... transforms our hearts... and our minds... and it causes us to rejoice... in his sovereign care over us. So having laid out that groundwork... let's explore the depths of this short psalm... this lament from David. So as we look at verse 1... we see this idea that I've drawn out. David is clearly... in a deep... desperate state of affairs. And just those first four words... are enough to help us see... that something isn't right in David's life. And I'm guessing most of us... have been in a situation... where we've wondered... how long we're going to have to endure it. Often we... come to grips with the reality... of the suffering that we're experiencing... but then... it seems as though... it's just not going to end... we get used to what we're experiencing... and then... a new problem is added to the list... of things we're experiencing... and then another... and then another... maybe if it isn't even you... that you see this in. Maybe you have a family member... or a friend... who seems to have more hardships... than any one person can endure. More than anyone else... that you know. So you know the idea that this psalm is talking about here. You feel... you feel this lament. You understand it. These are just a few words... but they make sense to us. How long is this going to keep happening, God? I know I'm not promised an easy life. I know that hardships... are a part of a fallen world. But a break would be nice, God.
And we see... in the next sentence... in verse 1 here... that David feels as though God has forgotten him. And he asks... if it's going to continue forever. And that's a bold statement... to make to God. It's one thing to ask... how long? It's an entirely different thing to imply... that God has forgotten you. And you think He might overlook you forever. That's a big range... of feeling there. We see here... He asks... are you going to hide your face... forever? And so as we add in verse 2 here... with this... and look at it... I want us to see here... the poetic way in which we feel the depth... of David's feelings... in what he's experiencing here. As I've mentioned before... when we've been looking at the Psalms... I'm not good with poetry. I'm not a poetry guy. I'm not even really a fiction guy. I'm a read-a-nonfiction-book-absorb-the-facts kind of guy. But here, this poetic device of repetition... is pretty easy for us to see. Repeating how long... four times... so close together... it drives home to us... just how deeply... David is feeling what is happening to him. How long? How long? You think David is wondering how long? We can understand this. Imagine that you're meeting with a friend... who's experiencing a really rough period of their life. And they share with you what is happening... and sitting across from you... their eyes are welling up with tears. And they said four sentences to you. And they all start with how long. You would know. You would get the extent of their despair. And you would know they feel as though... they just can't endure this any longer. So let's look at these statements. He wants to know how long he'll be forgotten. How long will God hide his face from him? How long he's going to be filled with sorrow? And have it be... what he is thinking about all the time. And also... how long the one who is oppressing him... will be exalted over him. We don't know exactly what David was experiencing... to bring him to this point. But there's no denying that David is not in a good place. This is clear. So our point as we look at this first section of this psalm... is the legitimacy of lament. And as I drew out... our natural inclination... is to keep our mouths shut about how we feel. Especially when we know... that sharing those feelings... are towards somebody who has authority over us. We know that it might not do us any good. But we need to remember this is different with God. Also, as we look at this... I don't think I'm the only one... who struggles with complaining to God. He is the sovereign one... over all... all of creation. And if I were to complain... I'm guessing God has a really good answer... about why I'm experiencing what I'm experiencing. And so I tend to keep those feelings to myself. Even though God knows how I feel... I just am... wired in such a way... it's like... God has to have a bigger plan here. I'm not going to deal with this. And then on top of it all... when we think about saying these things to God... the truth is... I'm a sinner. And usually... the problems that I'm facing... are probably self-induced. I probably have brought this on myself in some way. And all of this would have been true for David as well. But yet we're blessed here... to have him not only feeling free to cry out in this lament... but he wrote it down. And we know that these are the inspired words of God. We don't just believe and confess... that this is the inspired and inerrant word of God. For part of Scripture... but for all of it. The Psalms of praise... and the Psalms of lament... are inspired by God... to be the songs and prayers of the people of God. This isn't just David's lament. This is our lament too. And God inspired it... and gave it to us through the ages... that we might have this as a prayer. How amazing is it... that when you're feeling the way that David feels... and you don't know what to pray... you can recall this psalm. You can pray these words... knowing that these words of lament... were not just given to David. And not just the people of God through the ages... but they were given to you as well. These are your words just as much as they're David's. It legitimizes those feelings that we have... that we're afraid to utter. And not only says these feelings... legitimate... and gives us words to say... but it gives us a pattern on how to deal with this. How we can go about... struggling with these things. And I want to emphasize that we... don't stop here with verses 1 and 2. The point here is not to just give us a license... to be angry at God. To lament to God about what we're experiencing. We need to remember... that it's very easy for these thoughts here... to spill over into... sinful thoughts. And have it be a seed of resentment towards God. That's not the point here. So our first point... is the legitimacy of lament. But we can't stay in that idea. We have to remind ourselves that God is sovereign. And that we should be remindful of the truth... that He is in control. And the best way... to drill that... to beat that deep down into us... is to do what our second point is. To be persistent in prayer. So, as we move on to verses 3 and 4... we see that even though David thinks that God has forgotten him... that He's hidden His face from him... he still understands who God is. He still understands that God is in control. And I think this is huge for us... to make sure that we understand and remember this. In all of the pain... that David is feeling... he doesn't forget the nature and character... of God. He remembers that God is faithful. This is something that is very important for us. And it's a huge part of our discipleship... as we grow in the faith. We need to build up our confidence... in knowing the God who has saved us. We need to know deeply... that He works all things for good... for those who love Him. We need to feel deep down within us... the truth that we are not our own... but we belong body and soul... to our faithful Savior Jesus. We need a heartfelt understanding... that our chief end... our chief purpose in life... is to glorify God... and enjoy Him forever. He is a faithful God. His character... and the truth of the Gospel... reminds us that because we belong to Him... He keeps us. And the temporary things of this life... can be difficult and challenging. But ultimately... ultimately... He will do His... His good will... for our good... and His glory. This is who He is. And when we have that understanding... we can lament the circumstances we are in... but remain persistent in prayer. And lay our concerns at His feet... even when we think that He has forgotten us... and even when we think that He is hiding His face from us... because deep down... we have that knowledge... that He will never leave us... and He will never forsake us. And we see that David cries to God... and it's not limited to lament. He asks God to answer him... and he prays that God will sustain him... that He would light up his eyes... lest he sleep the sleep of death. And I mentioned before... that we don't know what David is facing here... but clearly... it is a circumstance that's substantial. It's clearly something... that can lead to his ultimate demise.
His prayer here... is a prayer for strength... and for God's sustaining power to be upon him. And this is a rather bold request... considering what he has just said about God... hiding from him. And in this... we see deep faith... and a deep trust in God. Honestly... we don't expect this, do we? We feel as though... that if we are asking these questions of God... that we're losing faith. That when we say... how long, God? Or how come you're hiding your faith from me? That we're in the process of losing our faith. But actually... these prayers and these requests here... show us that David clearly has faith... because he is asking God these questions. Believing that God not only hears the questions... but that he will also hear his requests.
He believes that God can rescue him... and that God can sustain him. The prayer here... in this psalm... is a prayer of faith. This is not David deconstructing his faith... because he is having an experience of hardship in life. Instead... it is proof of his faith. Because even when things are bad... David is persistent in prayer. And you and I should desire... to do the same. And before we move on to our final point... I want us to see something... very important... that we displayed... that we see displayed... all throughout the Psalter. David is not only aware of God... and who God is... but he is also very mindful of his enemies. As the anointed of God... he knows that his enemies... are God's enemies. And he appeals to God... to not let their enemies triumph over them. You see, he believes in the promises of God. And he cries out... to God to remain faithful to him. His desire here... is more than just a hope for... personal protection... or personal success and prosperity.
When David says he does not want his enemies... to be able to rejoice over his failure... it is not just about him. Again, not a personal sense... of not wanting to look bad in front of people... but a desire for his enemies... to think that they have prevailed over David... and therefore... prevailed over God... and against his people. And the idea here... is that even though things are against David personally... David is trusting in God... and his enemies never have.
The idea here is... this is a bigger thing... than just a personal attack. It's about trusting God's promise as a whole. And so this moves us on... to our third point... and the end of the progression... we see here... that David praises God... because he knows that the Lord... that Yahweh will be faithful to him. And before we think about what exactly is being said here... I want us to take in the movement of this psalm. It doesn't take any real poetic acumen... to feel the flow of this psalm. Because we start out with that lament... and if we were to take in the movement... to just cut it off there... you would almost think that maybe the psalmist was losing his faith. But then he asked God to hear his prayer. And then David says that he has trusted in the steadfast love of God... and then he rejoices and sings... because God has dealt bountifully with him. Just that simple progression in the psalm... can be an application for us, right? Lament. Pray. Trust. Rejoice. Those four words can guide us. And I think it's important that we understand... the trust that David has in God here. I've mentioned David knowing that God is faithful... but here we see the faithfulness spelled out for us in great detail. His confidence is in the steadfast love of God. Now our translation here is two words... steadfast... steadfast love. But in the original Hebrew, it's one word. Hesed. Very short word. But it packs a deep, deep meaning. And the best way to understand hesed... is covenantal love. It's a love that doesn't fail... because God keeps his promise to his people. Again, it's covenantal. And while as humans, you and I are covenant breakers... God is a covenant keeper. He is faithful. His promises come to fast. He will not break his covenant with his people. So David is taking his laments... his frustrations... and his doubts. And because he has this deep understanding... of God's covenant love... and his faithfulness to his covenant people... we see what he hopes in. And so ultimately, what I said... regarding lamenting, praying, trusting, and rejoicing... it all hinges on David understanding... the covenant faithfulness of God. Like I said when I mentioned being faithful in prayer... we need to deeply know the character of God. This needs to be down in us... if we're going to stand firm... through the difficulties that come at us in this life. When we know the covenant faithfulness of God... this hesed love... we are able to understand... who God is... even in the midst of lament. And we can rejoice. And I think it's important... that we look at the nature of the rejoicing here. This isn't a surface rejoicing. It isn't a... I'm going to fake praising God here... until I make it. It's not fake it... until you make it rejoicing. David isn't turning that frown upside down... and putting on a happy face... to get through this hardship. We see that his heart... heart rejoices. Because of the steadfast love of God. We see that there's this movement going on... in David's life in this circumstance. David thought the face of God had been hidden from him. He thought that God was silent to the oppression... that he was experiencing. But the steadfast love of God... causes him to sing his praise to the Lord. To lift up his voice... declaring the glory... to the stories of Yahweh. And this is a psalm... that you and I... can read... we can sing... and we can pray with great confidence. Because we know the steadfast love of God... in all of its covenant faithfulness.
This is our story. This is our song. When we feel as though God is silent... we can pray... like David. Because we know... that in Christ... God... has dealt bountifully with us. We deserve to have his face hidden from us. For we're sinners in rebellion against a holy God. Our just punishment... would be to be forgotten forever. But God in his mercy... has come to us. God the Son took on our flesh. He bore the wrath of God for our sin. And he rose again victoriously... and poured out the blessing of his salvation... to us. We have received... the benefits... of his steadfast love. Of his chesed... towards us. And so when you feel... as though God has turned his face away from you... like David... cry out and lament. But do so in prayer. And with a fervent trust... that in Christ... his face has not been turned away from you. In Christ his face... is always towards you. And you have the bountiful riches... of the King of glory in him. He has dealt bountifully... with you. So when God seems silent... you can have absolute confidence... that God is not silent. He has spoken... in his Son. And it is a word of salvation. It is a word of hope. It is a word of steadfast love. Amen. Let us pray. Almighty and everlasting God... we praise you for the gift of your word. That here we see... these statements of David... crying out to you in lament. But we also see... that it is rooted in a trust... in your covenant faithfulness. We pray that you would help us... O Lord, in the difficult times of this life... to trust... in the great truth... that you are a faithful God. And that you have dealt bountifully... with us in Christ. As we leave from this place... may your faithfulness to us... be our story... and our song. That we might live lives... that glorify you. It is in Jesus' name that we pray. Amen.
