Our church is working through some of the Psalms this summer. This Sunday, we come to Psalm 13 with its fourfold “How long?” lament. And this new song goes right along with it. We don’t have many lament songs to sing, so I am excited to introduce it to our church. And perhaps it will meet you where you are too.
The MP3, lyrics, lead sheets, and various music options can be found on the Getty Music website here.
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?
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.
– Psalm 13:1-2a, 5-6
We are living in “How long, O Lord” days. How long will we face this virus? And where is God in this situation? Why would he allow it? We wrestle in our souls and in our hearts with questions, uncertainties, anxieties, disappointments, and sorrows. The wrestling is real, and cry of “how long?” is real.
But in the midst of our wrestling, let us trust in God’s steadfast love. God loves us even now. He does.
And we will rejoice one day in his salvation. We will sing one day of his bountiful care through this situation and of his future blessings. We will.
Brian J. Mikul 