Psalm 13:5, 6  But I trust in your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation.  ⁶ I will sing to the LORD, for he has been good to me.

How long??  How long is it going to take me to find a job?  How long will it be before you answer my prayer, Lord?  How long before my spouse, or son, or daughter or friend, comes to know you?  How long am I going to have to struggle with_________? (fill in the blank)

What things are going on in our lives that the above questions describe our pleas to God?  Or, maybe we aren’t praying but simply asking ourselves these questions in frustration.  The struggles just seem to be never-ending and have led us to hopelessness and despair.  We become convinced we are alone and are stuck in situations with no way out.

When reading today’s faith-filled verses, we might respond, yes, but….  If you only knew…  While they declare such wonderful and important truths, we can respond thinking they are at odds with our situations.  But, if we look a few verses earlier, we see that David was in the midst of serious struggles when he cried out to God with questions just like these.

Four times in verses 1 and 2 David expresses his despair in asking God “How long?”

¹How long, O LORD? Will you forget me forever?
How long will you hide your face from me?
² How long must I wrestle with my thoughts
and every day have sorrow in my heart?
How long will my enemy triumph over me? 

But then in verses 3 and 4 David’s despair becomes prayer:

³Look on me and answer, O LORD my God.
Give light to my eyes, or I will sleep in death;
⁴ my enemy will say, “I have overcome him,”
and my foes will rejoice when I fall. 

Praise God!  David’s prayer leads to his wonderful faith-filled declaration of the truth:

⁵But I trust in your unfailing love;
my heart rejoices in your salvation.
⁶ I will sing to the LORD,
for he has been good to me. 

Despair – we cannot stop there.  Prayer – is vital but is part of the way there.  Faith – is where we must be, and where He will lead us.