Psalm 13 is an amazing tribute to our struggles in a world marinaded in evil.
“How long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever? How long must I wrestle with my thoughts and every day have sorrow in my heart?”
Of course, if atheists don’t get what they want, on demand, or if they have to struggle a bit with difficult thoughts or situations, they “logically” conclude on the basis of having to struggle that God does not exist.
David, a “man after God’s own heart,” knows that there can be no such illogical line of thinking. Rather than denying Creator God’s existence, David struggles with the knowledge that evil cannot exist without the permission of Creator God. He stands in the dark with fearful acceptance that God, Lord of lords and King of kings allows people and nations to revel in their evil, storing up wrath for themselves until their wickedness reaches a level that warrants their destruction. Like someone setting a trap, watching, waiting for the prey to stalk deeper and deeper until SNAP! It’s too late.
They’ve gotten exactly what they deserved. More than that, exactly what they wanted.
That’s the journey of atheism:
. Create a world-view of utter hopelessness
. Reject the only offer of hope, goodness and love
. Experience the utter hopelessness you longed to create
. Curse the God you deny for allowing you to get what you wanted all your life.
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2 comments:
That is an interesting take on Psalm 13. Oddly enough, as depressing as it can sound, Psalm 13 is one of my favorites. In a backhanded sort of way it brings me great comfort. Like many of the Psalms, it reflects the real struggles or real human beings. When I see that David, a man after God’s own heart, wrestled with his thoughts and struggled with sorrow in his heart, I see that there is hope for men even when I struggle.,. After all,
“No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.” (1 Cor. 10:13)
No wonder David at the end of the Psalm could say:
“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.”
Hi Leo. Good to hear from you again. Hope your summer went well. Ya, I love this Psalm as well. I love the way that virtually all of the "heros" that are in the Bible were such fragile, prone to wander, down right sinful human beings who were used by God to build His kingdom. It shows that there is hope for you and me and anyone for that matter.
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