How many times have we found ourselves asking that never ending, ever present, persistent and gut wrenching question; How Long? Well, we can take heart that we are not alone in asking it. One of God’s favorites was right there with us … a man after mine own heart (Acts 13:22).
I think we have all experienced that slow, sinking feeling that results from watching our doubt push our faith down the slippery slope of unbelief as the delay becomes longer and longer. But, while David has been there with us, more importantly he has also shown us the way of turning doubt into trust. Let’s look at how David dealt with this issue in Psalm 13 and see if we can’t find a couple nuggets to hang onto.
We find him here, struggling with plenty of trouble behind the scenes but mostly he is really wrestling with his own doubts about God’s divine activity on his behalf — ever been there?
Ps 13:1 How long wilt thou forget me, O LORD? Forever? How long wilt thou hide thy face from me?
You feel that you have gone through this trial just about long enough, have exhibited great patience without murmuring or complaining and the result has been the darkness and loneliness of despair overpowering you with that growing feeling of desperation encroaching upon your mind.
Boy haven’t we all asked that question in conjunction with an unfulfilled promise of God; How long? Literally translated he asks until when will you mislay, not see or fail to act upon me; Forever? David is expressing his inner sorrow here not so much at the situation or circumstances but that he feels God is hiding from him. In David’s time to turn one’s face benignly toward another and smiling upon him was to lift up one’s countenance. On the contrary, turning away one’s countenance showed aversion, hatred or displeasure. We can hear the desperation in David’s voice as he repeats this question another two times in the next verse … Oh how I can relate to that one!
Ps 13:2 How long shall I take counsel in my soul, having sorrow in my heart daily? How long shall mine enemy be exalted over me? KJV
How long here is referring to David’s being perplexed and embarrassed at this situation going on for so long. He felt forsaken and that he was being forced to come up with his own plan or solution. How long was he going to have to rely on himself? His pain was constant. He had no intermission for his troubles — from without and within. Not hearing from God caused David what Jamieson refers to as “outer trouble;” he begins to take counsel in his own soul. This is a place we’ve all been to and the pressure to take charge rather than continue to wait on God can seem unbearable. Listen to what Jamieson has to say about taking things into our own hands; taking counsel in my own soul:
I am continually framing ways and means of deliverance; but they all come to naught, because thou comest not to my deliverance. When a soul feels the burden and guilt of sin, it tries innumerable schemes of self-recovery; but they are all useless. None but God can speak peace to a guilty conscience.
I think that is just where David was. I know I have been there and have taken control when I shouldn’t have. He was faced with taking things into his own hands because of the pain he felt in God’s seemingly indifference to his pain. What bothered him the most was the fact that his Heavenly Father was hiding His “face” from him. In the midst of his pain he cried out to God:
Ps 13:3 Consider and hear me, O LORD my God: lighten mine eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death;
He petitions God to turn His face toward him so that He can hear David’s cries. Fully translated here he cries, look for me and find me. He asks God to lighten his eyes; he feels that his eyes are growing dim in death. David Barnes puts it this way:
I have been vexed in my soul and I have agitated various counsels to recover thy favour. But do thou instruct me, and illuminate me, as to what course I shall take.
Oh how many times have I cried out in my despair at Gods seeming absence from my life. God speak to me, tell me what to do. I can’t continue like this much longer! David continues and tells God what he fears:
Ps 13:4 Lest mine enemy say, I have prevailed against him; and those that trouble me rejoice when I am moved.
The Hebrew word prevailed here (yakol) means to be overpowered in complete victory; totally conquered in all ways. Isn’t that just like the enemy? Satan seems to lie in wait until just the right moment and then he steps in and begins to inflame our flesh by bringing comments from others, ranging from doubt and questioning to insult and reproach. Think back to Job and his doubting friends. How about his wife’s encouraging words in the midst of his longsuffering trial? A trial in which God seemed totally disinterested, that seemed like it would never end and caused him to raise serious doubts. And his sweetie, his soul mate, his best friend speaks softly in his ear … why don’t you just curse God and die (Job 2:9).
Like Job, David fears that his enemies will prevail against him. To get the impact of his statement we need to understand just what he is saying here. Giyl (prevailed) means to “spin around with a violent emotion.” This isn’t just victory but it is a “jubilant celebration of victory.” Have you ever been in that spot when everything seems so bad that you’re just waiting to hear your enemies shout … I told you so … you weren’t following God … you didn’t hear His voice … you’ve just been fooling yourself. Just what Satan uses to get us to forget God and lean on our own understanding (Pro 3:5). He wants us to do what David fears here; to be moved. He wants us to give up on God and be moved from our position of steadfastness in Him. But note that he cannot move us. That’s something only we can do. His only power is to orchestrate the lying circumstances around us and, like Job, we can then choose to endure and trust in God or listen to the voices of doubt and unbelief and be moved. So what did David do?
Ps 13:5-6 But I have trusted in thy mercy; my heart shall rejoice in thy salvation. 6. I will sing unto the LORD, because he hath dealt bountifully with me.
David tells us exactly what to do. He stops and sets his faith in God based upon God’s past faithfulness and loving-kindness. David comes to the same conclusion that Paul did in his letter to the Romans:
Rom 15:4 For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.
The idea is, I have trusted in the mercy of God; I still trust, and I will trust forever. We have God’s assurance of that in His Son is the Alpha and the Omega; the same yesterday, today and forever (Heb 13:8). David turns to his God and rejoices in his salvation, not his future salvation but deliverance from his present trial. His rejoicing is not only in his deliverance but even more importantly in his EXPECTATION of that deliverance. He speaks out in faith through his rejoicing in the hand of God acting on his behalf. Much like Paul in Romans where he used Abraham as his example:
Rom 4:17 (As it is written, I have made thee a father of many nations,) before him whom he believed, even God, who quickeneth the dead, and calleth those things which be not as though they were. KJV
It is his true peace in God that brings about the voice of praise from his lips. Because he knows by faith that God will deliver him he breaks out in song, rejoicing at his sure and ultimate victory at the hand of God. But knowing that is the key; having full revelation. David knew he could trust God because of all that God had done in the past. Even when the trial seemed to go on forever for absolutely no reason, he was able to lift his voice in praise of his deliverance.
Let me take a moment and interject some thoughts about our trials. Aren’t they all related to testing our faith? Doesn’t God use our trials to build up our faith in His faithfulness? Each trial we endure gives us just that much more assurance that God will come through again. We gain in our confidence of His faithfulness so that we can turn our doubt into trust. The following look at some of the tests of faith that come our way from time-to-time. Tests that don’t make any sense, seem to go on forever and appear to strip us of everything that we have confidence in. We need to keep them in mind so we don’t lose our faith when the heat gets turned up in the kitchen — no matter who turns it up or how hot it gets.
Sometimes He Gives Us “Strange Plans”
Joshua 6:3-5 And ye shall compass the city, all ye men of war, and go round about the city once. Thus shalt thou do six days. 4 And seven priests shall bear before the ark seven trumpets of rams’ horns: and the seventh day ye shall compass the city seven times, and the priests shall blow with the trumpets. 5 And it shall come to pass, that when they make a long blast with the ram’s horn, and when ye hear the sound of the trumpet, all the people shall shout with a great shout; and the wall of the city shall fall down flat, and the people shall ascend up every man straight before him.
Sometimes God goes out of His way to choose strange means to accomplish His will, just to get our attention and to make a point. I’ll bet Joshua, the great military general, didn’t have any tactical plans in his book that looked like this! You can bet only God would come up with such a plan to get us to trust Him and not our own clever understanding (Pro 3:5). Normally when a city was under siege the army surrounding it would taunt the inhabitants as part of the siege; shouting and blowing their trumpets. But note that Joshua (Josh 6:10) admonishes all the people to keep silent until the day in which he commands them to shout. Can you imagine what the people of Jericho must have been thinking?
What about Gideon and the strange instructions God gave him (Jug 7:2-8)? Reducing your army from 22,000 to 300 doesn’t sound like a smart move. Can you imagine Gideon sitting there worried that 22,000 soldiers might not be enough and the Commander and Chief cuts back the defense budget? But look at it from God’s perspective. He didn’t want the Jews to be able to take any credit for the victory. Only through Gideon’s faith and his obedience to the Word of God was he victorious.
Suffice it to say that the “strange plans” God sometimes gives us are only His way of reducing our resources down to nothing. When we are at our least, God is always at His best … for my strength is made perfect in weakness (2Cor 12:19).
Sometimes It Is Apparently “Useless Work”
2Kings 3:16-17 And he said, Thus saith the LORD, Make this valley full of ditches. 17 For thus saith the LORD, Ye shall not see wind, neither shall ye see rain; yet that valley shall be filled with water, that ye may drink, both ye, and your cattle, and your beasts.
Here is a perfect example of God’s people being asked to prepare to receive God’s blessings in a manner that did not seem very sensible. The Lord speaks through Elisha and tells them to dig wide ditches yet there will be no wind to stir up the moisture into rain clouds. But He tells them in verse 17 that the valley will be filled with water to meet their needs. They were obedient and not only did they have the water they needed in the morning but it also caused the Moabites to be delivered into their hands (2Kings 3). Obedience is better than sacrifice!
What about Noah? If there was ever a strange request from God this had to be it. It had never rained in the history of the world and yet God asked Noah to build a boat. Imagine what Noah was thinking at this request (Gen 6:13) … Why? How long? But by faith there was Noah building an ark because God said He was going to destroy man along with the inhabitants of earth. Then when he had completed it God told him that in seven days it was going to rain for 40 days and nights (Gen 7:4). I imagine Noah and his family had their answer in short order … sure he did – 120 years! What if he had listened to all the naysayers and said, this just doesn’t make any sense and I think I’ll wait until I get a clearer picture? How many times have we failed to put our faith to something that God has told us to do, thinking it didn’t make any sense, only to find out too late it was the Lord talking to us all along?
Sometimes It Is Preparation “With No Blessing In Sight”
2Kings 4:2-3 And Elisha said unto her, What shall I do for thee? tell me, what hast thou in the house? And she said, Thine handmaid hath not any thing in the house, save a pot of oil. 3 Then he said, Go, borrow thee vessels abroad of all thy neighbors, even empty vessels; borrow not a few.
If you think she thought it was strange imagine how Elisha must have felt; it was his first miracle! But look at the faith he showed in the last part of verse 3: borrow not a few. Consider Jesus’ statement in Matt 14:31. Peter walked on the water because He was obedient to the Word of God and put his faith to it. He only sank when he took notice of the circumstances and his faith weakened. What if the widow in 2Kings would have put all her faith in the prophet and been “fully” obedient to his word and gathered twice as any jars as she did?
Remember that God keeps giving Himself to us as long as we bring Him something He can pour Himself into. When we stop bringing He stops pouring. Perhaps another way to look at it is that we have as much of God as we are willing to take in. When He asks us to prepare but we don’t see the blessing we need to remember Noah, Elisha and the widow who were obedient to His Word in faith.
Types of Testing
Lack Of Sympathy
Matt 15:22-28 And, behold, a woman of Canaan came out of the same coasts, and cried unto him, saying, Have mercy on me, O Lord, thou Son of David; my daughter is grievously vexed with a devil. 23 But he answered her not a word. And his disciples came and besought him, saying; send her away; for she crieth after us. Then came she and worshipped him, saying, Lord, help me. 26 But he answered and said, It is not meet to take the children’s bread, and to cast it to dogs. 27 And she said, Truth, Lord: yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their masters’ table. 28 Then Jesus answered and said unto her, O woman, great is thy faith: be it unto thee even as thou wilt. And her daughter was made whole from that very hour.
Read this in context with special attention to verse 28. She was persistent in the face of Jesus’ apparent lack of sympathy for her situation. Was Jesus just taking time in not responding to let her exercise her faith? As we read on Jesus not only responds by telling her that He was sent only to the house of Israel (24) but He further likens her to a dog (26) at the table of Israel; a gentile. But her faith is strong and she agrees with Him (27) and says that she isn’t asking for what belongs to the highly favored Israelites but just what they don’t want. In other words, all I need of you Jesus is just a little and my daughter will be delivered. Now comes verse 28 and we hear Jesus acknowledge that her faith, in the face of Jesus’ apparent rejection, has grown stronger. Adam Clarke describes her faith as being like a river; it becomes large by the dykes opposed to it until at last it sweeps them all away.
What does this tell us? Perhaps it means that we need to persevere and when the delays have properly prepared us we will be ready to receive. How important is this? Look at Jesus’ words carefully in verse 28: Oh woman, great is thy faith. He admired her faith and so should we. We can take this as an example by which our lives can be radically altered. Faith never quits!
Mark 10:13-16 And they brought young children to him, that he should touch them: and his disciples rebuked those that brought them. 14. But when Jesus saw it, he was much displeased, and said unto them, Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God. 15. Verily I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah in the Day of Judgment, than for that city. 16. Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves.
Here is another example of faith that pleased Jesus. When we get to verses 15 and 16 we see that Jesus rebuked His disciples for their action. Why? Weren’t they just trying to protect Him so He could deal with the more important aspects of His ministry?
The problem was that, despite the fact that they had lived with Him for 2 years; they still hadn’t caught His Spirit. Jesus takes the opportunity to teach them in these verses that only “utter trust” ushers us into the Kingdom. Who has more faith than a little innocent child? That is how the woman of Canaan responded in Matt 15. That is how we saw David turn his Doubt into Trust.
Discouraging Circumstances
Luke 5:17-20 And it came to pass on a certain day, as he was teaching, that there were Pharisees and doctors of the law sitting by, which were come out of every town of Galilee, and Judaea, and Jerusalem: and the power of the Lord was present to heal them. 18 And, behold, men brought in a bed a man which was taken with a palsy: and they sought means to bring him in, and to lay him before him. 19 And when they could not find by what way they might bring him in because of the multitude, they went upon the housetop, and let him down through the tiling with his couch into the midst before Jesus. 20 And when he saw their faith, he said unto him, Man, thy sins are forgiven thee.
How many times have we let the enemy block our way and close us out of God’s blessing, keeping us from receiving our miracle? More importantly, how many times have we kept someone else from receiving his or her miracle by our lack of faith?
Here in Luke it was the man’s friends who persisted and got their sick friend in front of Jesus. In verse 20 note that Jesus saw THEIR faith and forgave HIS sins. In verse 25 the man received his healing by exercising his faith, he got up, took his bed and went on his way.
True God-based faith will stop discouragement and open the doors of heaven for us in the midst of discouraging delays and roadblocks.
Unbelieving Friends
Mark 5:22-23, 36 And, behold, there cometh one of the rulers of the synagogue, Jairus by name; and when he saw him, he fell at his feet, 23 And besought him greatly, saying, My little daughter lieth at the point of death: I pray thee, come and lay thy hands on her, that she may be healed; and she shall live. 35 While he yet spake, there came from the ruler of the synagogue’s house certain which said, Thy daughter is dead: why troublest thou the Master any further? 36 As soon as Jesus heard the word that was spoken, he saith unto the ruler of the synagogue, Be not afraid, only believe.
This is one of my favorites because it always seems that when my faith is being tested there are always some that come along to speak the devil’s lies into my ear. You can’t do that! It’s not possible! Jesus isn’t interested in that! Look at this example and don’t miss the subtle act of faith described.
Right in verse 22 we are given a great big clue as to Jairus’ faith. He was a ruler of the synagogue among those who hated Jesus and here he was, falling at Jesus’ feet. Look up John 7:47-48 where we see that few of them believed in Jesus. So here he is taking a big risk by worshipping Jesus in public and here comes the bad news right on schedule; why are you bothering Jesus, your daughter is already dead!
I love what Jesus says! I can just imagine that those from his house came loudly proclaiming that his daughter was dead. I can also imagine that Jesus quietly leans over to Jairus and says, just believe. In other words: you’ve got it right and they don’t, don’t listen to them, keep the faith, it is all you need!
When doubt and unbelief are needed the enemy has an army of well-meaning, well-intentioned individuals at his disposal. Jesus summed it all up for us in verse 36: be not afraid, only believe. What he told Jairus He is telling us, face fear with faith and watch fear flee. Remember the old saying: fear knocked upon my door, faith answered and there was no one there.
Scoffers
John 9:13-16 They brought to the Pharisees him that aforetime was blind. 14 And it was the Sabbath day when Jesus made the clay, and opened his eyes. 15 Then again the Pharisees also asked him how he had received his sight. He said unto them, He put clay upon mine eyes, and I washed, and do see. 16 Therefore said some of the Pharisees, This man is not of God, because he keepeth not the Sabbath day. Others said, How can a man that is a sinner do such miracles? And there was a division among them.
Religious people (those with outward religious service) will always try and steal your joy, the joy that is evidenced by your zeal for the Lord. It is a prerequisite to the stealing of your faith. Scoffers (ridiculers or scorners) will do this by stealing the Word from you if you let them. I absolutely love the way the blind man stood his ground. Listen to what he said in verse 27:
27 He answered them, I have told you already, and ye did not hear: wherefore would ye hear it again? will ye also be his disciples?
In other words: I already told you, do you want to hear it again? Are you anxious to find out more about him so you can become his disciples also? Then, with even more boldness he goes on the offensive in verses 30 to 33.
30 The man answered and said unto them, Why herein is a marvelous thing, that ye know not from whence he is, and yet he hath opened mine eyes. 31 Now we know that God heareth not sinners: but if any man be a worshipper of God, and doeth his will, him he heareth. 32 Since the world began was it not heard that any man opened the eyes of one that was born blind. 33 If this man were not of God, he could do nothing.
Before we leave this look closely at verse 30, there is a subtle “sledge hammer” here that is being used by this blind man of no repute. The Rabbis, when asked why nobody was ever healed of blindness, why the lame didn’t walk or the lepers were never cleansed would respond that the Messiah would perform those miracles when He comes. How poignant that this blind man poses just this question, as if he had them all on trial. Listen to his words again:
Why herein is a marvelous thing, that ye know not from whence he is, and yet he hath opened mine eyes.
Talk about turning the cart over. He not only wouldn’t let them steal his joy (zeal) he challenged them by asking if they were seeking to get some joy of their own from God! Jesus actually responded this same way to the followers of John the Baptist.
Until I learned this fact I had always been very puzzled by Jesus’ response to John the Baptists’ question as to whether or not He was the Messiah. Remember that his mother was Mary’s Aunt and He was Jesus’ cousin. It was also John who leapt in his mother’s womb at the very presence of Jesus in the womb of Mary. I always thought, why is he asking his followers to pose this question, surely he knows who Jesus is; he baptized him, saw the dove descend and heard God’s voice? He wanted them to know for a certainty who Jesus was and for them to stop following him and follow Jesus. Remember, at the time of this event John was in Herod’s prison, soon to be beheaded. In Luke 7:20-22 Jesus answers John’s followers in a similar manner to the blind man in John 19:
20 When the men were come unto him, they said, John Baptist hath sent us unto thee, saying, Art thou he that should come? or look we for another? 21 And in that same hour he cured many of their infirmities and plagues, and of evil spirits; and unto many that were blind he gave sight. 22 Then Jesus answering said unto them, Go your way, and tell John what things ye have seen and heard; how that the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, to the poor the gospel is
The Rabbis should have known who He was by the miracles He performed; those reserved for the Messiah. They were recognized by the blind man, the one who had been given his sight by God!
Divine Delays
John 11:3-6 Therefore his sisters sent unto him, saying, Lord, behold, he whom thou lovest is sick. 4 When Jesus heard that, he said, This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God might be glorified thereby. 5 Now Jesus loved Martha, and her sister, and Lazarus. 6 When he had heard therefore that he was sick, he abode two days still in the same place where he was.
I could spend hours on these verses, but the point I want to make here is that we must, like Jesus, wait for God’s perfect timing. If we get out there ahead of Him then we are operating in our own power. I’ve been there and found myself no match for the forces opposing me. On the other hand, I’ve waited for God to move and I hardly noticed the opposition at all. I know that if it had been me and I knew that I could bring Lazarus back to life I would have run there immediately.
Jesus said in verse 4 that this was for the glory of God. Therefore He let things get worse instead of better. All of His friends must have thought it was a very strange way to show love for Martha and Mary, let alone Lazarus. It just wasn’t like Jesus to act like this and show such indifference to the ones He was supposed to love. But verses 5 and 6 tell us that He stayed BECAUSE He loved them. Because He loved them He tried their faith because He desired to do something great for their faith.
He wanted to do something for them that He had not done for any of His friends and Lazarus needed to be dead and buried to accomplish it. Look up Isa 54:7-8 and 49:14. God always has His best in mind for us in the midst of delays. We may not think HE is around when WE think HE should be, but HE is!
What a cross section of people throughout the Bible we have just looked at. What company David has in his cry of How Long! Joshua tested at Jericho, Gideon asked to reduce his army, Elisha telling them to dig ditches without a hint of rain, Noah building a boat when it had never rained before, the widow getting empty pots when she had nothing to put in them, the woman of Canaan persisting for her daughter’s healing when Jesus seemingly turned from her, the friends who lowered their friend down through the roof to Jesus when every other avenue was blocked, Jairus who against circumstances and the voices of others “only believed,” John the Baptist who wandered for years waiting for Jesus, Martha and Mary who seemed to suffer the greatest loss and my favorite … the blind man who had spent a lifetime without sight. What a trial of waiting. He looked to the coming Messiah to receive his healing and when it came he glorified God for it. He rejoiced and praised God in the midst of the unbelievers and scoffers.
And so we look back to David, the man after God’s own heart. In his own trial he also turned Doubt into Trust. Was it by some magic formula or did he tap into someone else’s anointing or strength? No, David like all the others tapped into the one who created him; the one who had many times shown Himself faithful in the past. David tapped into His strength through praising and rejoicing in his deliverance, a deliverance he was certain would come because his God would not leave him ashamed in front of his enemies.
As we face our trials and it seems like God has gone on vacation we need to look back on these children of God who, in the end, stood on their faith. After all, when our trial seems as if it will never end, we only need to remember that God is building our faith and it really doesn’t matter what set of circumstances He chooses to get the job done. Keep Him as the center of our focus and we, like David can say, but I have trusted in thy mercy; my heart shall rejoice in thy salvation. I will sing unto the LORD, because he hath dealt bountifully with me.
Turning Our Doubt Into Trust!