Seeing Jesus in Psalm 13

But I trust in your unfailing love. I will rejoice because you have rescued me.

Psalm 13:5 NLT

 Psalm 13

1. My first reaction: David feels forgotten, I don’t think this is wrong or sinful to feel abandoned by God. It is part of the process in learning faith and obedience in our relationship with God. Jesus felt abandoned by God. Jesus never sinned.

Main Point:

It's a normal part of the process of knowing God to feel abandoned by God but it is not the way God will leave us feeling. 

See below the following Bible passages which came to mind to show the relationship between Jesus, David, the psalms and the feeling of abandonment. I think it is a normal part of relationships in a sinful world to feel such feelings. But God doesn’t want us to always feel these feelings even if we at the moment think it might last forever. v.1 

In my third reaction I will show what David found true about God that changed His feelings.

2. My second reaction: David remembers God has helped Him. Restore the sparkle to my eyes v.3

David might feel desperately alone and wonder if it will last forever but He has hope. He prays for change. He remembers a time when his relationship with God was what brought a sparkle to his eyes. Think back to when you first fell in love with God because you knew He loved you.

3. My third reaction; David ends this Psalm thinking about God. He is determined and sets three goals or is determined to think differently about things.

I will trust because of your unfailing love. V.5

I will rejoice because you have rescued me. V.5

I will sing because he is good to me. V.6

God has unfailing love for David (Jesus and everyone in Christ) so be determined to trust God.

God has rescued David (Jesus and everyone in Christ) so be determined to rejoice in God.

God is good to David (Jesus and everyone in Christ) so be determined to sing to God.

Conclusion:

It is normal to feel abandoned and forgotten by God: You really can’t skip this step in the process. But when we remember what God has done for us before and have hope that God can and will do that for us again, we will remember God’s unfailing love, rescue and goodness, so we will turn from the feelings of being forgotten  to trusting, rejoicing and singing

Matthew 26:38, He told them, “My soul is crushed with grief to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me.” Matthew 27:46, “About three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, ‘Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?’ (which means ‘My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?’).” Mark 15:34

Luke 23:46, Then Jesus shouted, “Father, I entrust my spirit into your hands!” And with those words he breathed his last. Psalm 22:1, My God, my God, why have You forsaken me? Why are You so far from saving me, so far from my words of groaning? Hebrews 5:7, During the days of Jesus' earthly life, He offered up prayers and petitions with loud cries and tears to the One who could save Him from death, and He was heard because of His reverence. Isaiah 53:10, Yet it was the LORD's will to crush Him and cause Him to suffer. And when His soul is made a guilt offering, He will see His offspring, He will prolong His days, and the good pleasure of the LORD will prosper in His hand. Lamentations 1:12, Is this nothing to you, all you who pass by? Look around and see! Is there any sorrow like mine, which was inflicted on me, which the LORD made me suffer on the day of His fierce anger? 2 Corinthians 5:21, God made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.

Psalm 13 Prayer for Help in Trouble. For the choir director. A Psalm of David. 1 How long, O Lord? Will You forget me forever? How long will You hide Your face from me? 2 How long shall I take counsel in my soul, Having sorrow in my heart all the day? How long will my enemy be exalted over me? 3 Consider and answer me, O Lord my God; Enlighten my eyes, or I will sleep the sleep of death, 4 And my enemy will say, “I have overcome him,” And my adversaries will rejoice when I am shaken. 5 But I have trusted in Your lovingkindness; My heart shall rejoice in Your salvation. 6 I will sing to the Lord, Because He has dealt bountifully with me. NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®

Psalm 13 For the choir director: A psalm of David. 1 O Lord, how long will you forget me? Forever? How long will you look the other way? 2 How long must I struggle with anguish in my soul, with sorrow in my heart every day? How long will my enemy have the upper hand? 3 Turn and answer me, O Lord my God! Restore the sparkle to my eyes, or I will die. 4 Don’t let my enemies gloat, saying, “We have defeated him!” Don’t let them rejoice at my downfall. 5 But I trust in your unfailing love. I will rejoice because you have rescued me. 6 I will sing to the Lord because he is good to me. Holy Bible, New Living Translation

Galatians 3:13, Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law by becoming a curse for us. For it is written: "Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree." Hebrews 4:15, This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin. Job 6:2-4 "If only my grief could be weighed and placed with my calamity on the scales. . . . 2 “If my misery could be weighed, and my troubles be put on the scales, 3 they would outweigh all the sands of the sea. That is why I spoke impulsively. 4 For the Almighty has struck me down with his arrows. Their poison infects my spirit. God’s terrors are lined up against me.