“How long, O LORD? Will you forget me forever?
   How long will you hide your face from me?

How long must I take counsel in my soul
   and have sorrow in my heart all the day?
How long shall my enemy be exalted over me?

Consider and answer me, O LORD my God;
    light up my eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death,
lest my enemy say, "I have prevailed over him,"
   lest my foes rejoice because I am shaken.

But I have 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 (ESV)

We all go through painful seasons in life where it feels like God has abandoned us.  Prayers seem to fall on deaf ears.  Adversity doesn’t lift.  Pain doesn’t ease.  Sorrow, frustration, mourning, confusion, uncertainty, anger… they are constant companions. 

Our lives will all be punctuated with difficult moments.  But, take heart.  God never leaves His children.  No matter what you are facing, He is always there.  He will see you through the storms in your life.  Sometimes it is difficult to see or hear God when the winds are howling and the storm raging. 

But notice the words David uses at the end of this psalm: trusted, steadfast, rejoice, salvation, sing, dealt bountifully.  Take a moment to look back at times of trouble you have already been through.  Hindsight is 20/20.  If you think about it, you will find times when God led you through – or pulled you out.  He did it before.  He’ll do it again.

Remember what Paul wrote:  Rejoice!  Rejoice at all times, despite circumstances, for the Lord is near (Philippians 4:4-5).  Trust God and find your joy in Him.  And hang in there.

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