Psalm 13: A Cry for Help

Lessons from Psalm 13

Introduction

Opening Prayer

Opening Activity Have you ever felt like you were waiting forever for something good to happen? Perhaps for God to do something?

Relate this feeling to David’s question, "How long, O Lord?"

“Psalm 130 (From Depths of Woe)”

From depths of woe I raise to thee a voice of lamentation.

Lord, turn a gracious ear to me and hear my supplication.

If thou iniquities dost mark, our secret sins and misdeeds dark,

O who shall stand before thee?

[Who shall stand?]

O who shall stand before thee?

[Who shall stand?]

Who shall stand before thee?

To wash away the crimson stain, grace, grace alone, availeth.

Our works, alas, are all in vain; in much the best life faileth.

No man can glory in thy sight, all must alike confess thy might

And live alone by mercy

[Live alone]

And live alone by mercy

[Live alone]

Live alone by mercy.

Therefore my trust is in the Lord and not in mine own merit.

On him my soul shall rest; his Word upholds my fainting spirit.

His promised mercy is my fort, my comfort, and my sweet support.

I wait for him with patience

[Wait for him]

I wait for him with patience

[Wait for him]

Wait for him with patience.

And though my sorrows dark may be, Christ is my consolation.

He is my refuge day by day, high fortress of salvation.

He’ll take away my tears of pain, wash dust of death away with rain.

And now I sing before thee

[Now I sing]

And now I sing before thee

[Now I sing]

Now I sing before thee.

And though I wait the livelong night, until the dawn appeareth,

My heart still trusteth in his might; it doubteth not nor feareth.

Do thus, O ye of Israel's seed, you of the Spirit born indeed,

And wait till God appeareth

[Wait till God]

And wait till God appeareth

[Wait till God]

Wait till God appeareth.

Though great our sin and sore our woes, his grace much more aboundeth.

His helping love no limit knows, our utmost need it soundeth.

Our Shepherd good and true is he, who will at last set Israel free

From all their sin and sorrow

[All their sin]

From all their sin and sorrow

[All their sin]

All their sin and sorrow.

On heights of joy I’ll raise to thee a voice of exultation.

Lord, turn thy glorious face to me; receive my adoration.

Thy mercies triumph full and free through Jesus Christ who rescued me.

I gladly stand before thee

[Gladly stand]

I gladly stand before thee

[Gladly stand]

Gladly stand before thee

Psalm 13

Read Verses 1–6

Psalm 13 (ESV)

To the choirmaster. 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 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?

3 Consider and answer me, O Lord my God; light up my eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death,

4 lest my enemy say, “I have prevailed over him,” lest my foes rejoice because I am shaken.

5 But I have trusted in your steadfast love; my heart shall rejoice in your salvation.

6 I will sing to the Lord,

because he has dealt bountifully with me.

Structure and Themes

Psalm 13 can be broken down into three main sections, each with a different focus:

Verses 1-2: Cry of Despair

David asks a hard question: “How long?” He thought he was forgotten by God.

It’s okay to tell God how we feel, even if we’re feeling abandoned. Especially when we feel abandoned, when our world falls apart, and when the answer to our prayers has been, “No.” As Spurgeon says, “Whenever you look into David’s Psalms, you may somewhere or other see yourselves. You never get into a corner but you find David in that corner. I think that I was never so low that I could not find that David was lower; and I never climbed so high that I could not find that David was up above me, ready to sing his song upon his stringed instrument, even as I could sing mine.” He doesn’t hide his pain but shares it with God.

In chaplaincy, we might call this the start of a theology of suffering, that while we believe that our prayers in Christ are “yes!” and “amen,” we recognize that when suffering comes, God is with us in that suffering, that suffering that results because of the Fall of Man into sin in Gen. 3.

Verses 3-4: Call for Help

David asks God to “consider and answer” and to “light up” his eyes. This phrase, meaning “give me strength,” reveals David’s need for God’s intervention, for help beyond himself. How frequently does our own self-assuredness get us into trouble?

Even when David feels low, he believes God can help him. In times of grief, sadness— lament, we, too, can ask God to lift us up.

Verses 5-6: Declaration of Trust and Praise

Despite his suffering, David remembers God’s כְסֲד, that is, His steadfast love and expresses confidence in God’s goodness.

We see a change from sorrow to joy in these verses. Even when our hearts are heavy, God’s love gives us a reason to hope.

Discussion and Reflection

What does it look like to trust God when we feel sad or scared?

God listens to us, even when it feels like He’s far away.

How does David move from despair to trust and how might we follow his example?

How can we find hope in God’s promises, especially in times of suffering or lament?

Connecting Psalm 13 to Christ

Christ’s Lament and Our Salvation

David’s cry of “How long?” should remind us of Jesus, who also experienced feelings of abandonment on the cross, asking, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” Jesus knows our pain and struggles, and through Him, we find hope and comfort.

David called on God to remember him in faith, according to the promises He made to Moses (Deut. 32:27). We can cry out to God to remember us in faith for the sake of Christ!

Jesus as Our Faithful Shepherd

While David hoped in God’s steadfast love, we now see the fullness of that love in Jesus Christ. He came to rescue and save us, proving that God never truly abandons His people. Jesus is our assurance of God’s presence, even in difficult times.

Application and Closing

Trusting in God During Difficult Times Psalm 13 teaches us that God is not far off. Echoed throughout the Gospels, Jesus knows of, experienced, and prophesied about our struggles.

Closing Prayer

Challenge for the Week Read Psalm 13 each day this week. When you pray, tell God how you feel. Just like David, you can end each day by trusting in God’s steadfast love.