Psalm Saturday: Psalm 13

Psalm 13

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.
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This Psalm follows a very similar pattern to several of David's previous Psalms in that he cries out to God to answer him in his distress and save him from the wicked people around him. I'm not going to continue to belabor that point, but I would like to focus on one particular line in this Psalm.

David asks God to "light up my eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death."

How many of us wander around with eyes of darkness? We live life with no joy, lacking peace, and showing no excitement or passion in our eyes for who God is and what he has done in our lives. When people see us, we look more like dead people than we do live ones.

Why do we act so defeated? Why do we look so downcast? I love what David says in Psalm 42, when he asks that same question, "Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation and my God."

God is in control, and that should bring joy to our hearts. Our eyes and our countenance should be shining the peace that only God can give.

We are not dead. We are very much alive. Psalm 115 describes it perfectly. "The dead do not praise the Lord, nor do any who go down into silence. But we will bless the Lord from this time forth and forevermore. Praise the Lord!"

Are you dead or alive?

What do your eyes say to that?