Individual Suffering

Good evening, everyone. We’re continuing our study in Psalms tonight, and we’re going to focus on something that we all experience at some point—suffering. Whether it’s personal struggles, unanswered questions, or pain that feels overwhelming, suffering is a part of the human experience. But, as we’ll see in our psalm study tonight, suffering is not the end of the story. God meets us in our suffering, and these psalms show us how to journey from despair to hope.

We’ll look at three psalms tonight: Psalm 13, Psalm 42, and Psalm 43. These psalms express deep anguish, but they also show a yearning for God’s presence and restoration. They capture the tension we often feel: how to hold onto faith in the middle of our trials. Let’s dive in.

Let’s start with Psalm 13, where we see a very personal cry for help in a time of despair.

Psalm 13 NKJV

To the Chief Musician. 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 daily? How long will my enemy be exalted over me? 3 Consider and hear me, O Lord my God; Enlighten my eyes, Lest I sleep the sleep of death; 4 Lest my enemy say, “I have prevailed against him”; Lest those who trouble me rejoice when I am moved. 5 But I have trusted in Your mercy; My heart shall rejoice in Your salvation. 6 I will sing to the Lord, Because He has dealt bountifully with me.

Cry out with Despair

We begin with

Psalm 13

. This psalm is a very personal cry for help in the midst of deep despair. We see the psalmist’s raw emotion, his

anguish, his questioning, and his search for God’s presence

The psalmist doesn’t hold back. He questions God directly. He feels forgotten, abandoned, and overwhelmed. How many of us have been there? In those moments of personal pain, it can feel like God is silent, distant, or hidden from us.

Here’s the first point we can take from this psalm: Be honest with God. It’s okay to express doubt, frustration, and even anger in prayer. God welcomes our honesty. Just like Jesus prayed in the garden of Gethsemane, expressing His anguish, we too are invited to cry out to God in our suffering.

Question for Reflection: How easy or difficult is it for you to be completely honest with God in prayer? Do you tend to hold back, or do you feel comfortable bringing your full heart to Him?

2. Choose to trust

Notice the shift. In verses 5-6, there’s a transition from lament to trust. The psalmist chooses to remember God’s past faithfulness and trust in His mercy. Even in the midst of despair, the psalmist anchors his trust in God’s unchanging love.

Reflection: This is key—faith isn’t about denying the reality of suffering but choosing to trust in God’s goodness even when things don’t make sense. The resurrection of Jesus Christ is the ultimate display of God's faithfulness and the hope of our future restoration. Our suffering may be real, but it’s temporary compared to the eternal joy that awaits us.

Question for Reflection: When have you chosen to trust God, even when you didn’t understand your situation? What did that look like?

Now let’s move to

Psalm 42

. This psalm takes us deeper into the emotional and spiritual struggle. The psalmist is longing for God, thirsty for His presence. It opens with one of the most vivid images in Scripture

Psalm 42 NKJV

To the Chief Musician. A Contemplation of the Sons of Korah. 1 As the deer pants for the water brooks, So pants my soul for You, O God. 2 My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When shall I come and appear before God? 3 My tears have been my food day and night, While they continually say to me, “Where is your God?” 4 When I remember these things, I pour out my soul within me. For I used to go with the multitude; I went with them to the house of God, With the voice of joy and praise, With a multitude that kept a pilgrim feast. 5 Why are you cast down, O my soul? And why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God, for I shall yet praise Him For the help of His countenance. 6 O my God, my soul is cast down within me; Therefore I will remember You from the land of the Jordan, And from the heights of Hermon, From the Hill Mizar. 7 Deep calls unto deep at the noise of Your waterfalls; All Your waves and billows have gone over me. 8 The Lord will command His lovingkindness in the daytime, And in the night His song shall be with me— A prayer to the God of my life. 9 I will say to God my Rock, “Why have You forgotten me? Why do I go mourning because of the oppression of the enemy?” 10 As with a breaking of my bones, My enemies reproach me, While they say to me all day long, “Where is your God?” 11 Why are you cast down, O my soul? And why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God; For I shall yet praise Him, The help of my countenance and my God.

The image of a deer panting for water speaks to an intense spiritual thirst—a longing for God that surpasses physical need. Have you ever experienced that kind of deep longing for God’s presence, especially in the midst of trial?

Here’s the second point we can take from this psalm: Cultivate a thirst for God. When suffering comes, it can drive us to seek a deeper relationship with God. We can choose to redirect our focus from our problems to His presence. Spiritual thirst can push us closer to God, reminding us that He alone is the true source of life and peace.

Question for Reflection: What practical steps can you take to cultivate a deeper thirst for God in your daily life? Is there a specific area of your life where you feel you need more of His presence?

4. Contemplate past faithfulness

The psalmist recalls past times of worship—those moments when he felt God's presence in a tangible way. This remembering is a powerful tool for our own struggles. When we face suffering, it’s easy to forget God’s faithfulness, but the psalmist calls us to remember. Reflecting on God’s past acts of goodness can rekindle our hope.

Reflection: In moments of despair, we can look back at how God has been faithful to us in the past. This is a reminder that God’s faithfulness is not just a past reality but an ongoing truth. Just as Christ overcame death, we can trust that God will lead us through our suffering as well.

5. Cling to His light

Finally, we turn to Psalm 43, which continues the themes of longing and trust but adds a call for guidance and vindication. The psalmist calls out for God’s light to lead him out of his darkness:

Psalm 43 NKJV

1 Vindicate me, O God, And plead my cause against an ungodly nation; Oh, deliver me from the deceitful and unjust man! 2 For You are the God of my strength; Why do You cast me off? Why do I go mourning because of the oppression of the enemy? 3 Oh, send out Your light and Your truth! Let them lead me; Let them bring me to Your holy hill And to Your tabernacle. 4 Then I will go to the altar of God, To God my exceeding joy; And on the harp I will praise You, O God, my God. 5 Why are you cast down, O my soul? And why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God; For I shall yet praise Him, The help of my countenance and my God.

In these verses, the psalmist asks for God’s light and truth to lead him through the darkness. Cling to God’s light in times of suffering. Just as Christ is the light of the world, we can trust that God’s truth will lead us out of despair and into hope.

Question for Reflection: How can you actively seek God’s light and truth during times of personal suffering? What are some practical ways you can invite His guidance into your life?

Closing: A Journey from Despair to Hope

As we wrap up, let’s remember that suffering is a journey, and the psalmists show us how to walk through it. Cry out to God in honesty. Trust in His steadfast love, even when we don’t understand. Cultivate a thirst for His presence, and remember His past faithfulness. And finally, cling to His light—trusting that God will lead us through the darkest valleys.

Remember, the psalms were often written in a communal context. The psalmist wasn’t just talking to God in isolation; these psalms were shared with others. That’s why it’s so important for us to gather as a church and share our struggles and joys with one another. As we come together in worship and prayer, we remind each other of God’s faithfulness.

Let’s close with a prayer, asking God to help us in our times of suffering:

Prayer: Lord, we come before You tonight acknowledging our pain, our struggles, and our doubts. We cry out to You, just as the psalmists did, and ask that You would meet us in our suffering. Help us to trust in Your steadfast love, to cultivate a thirst for Your presence, and to remember Your faithfulness in the past. We cling to Your light and truth to guide us through the darkness. Even in our pain, may we find hope in You. In Jesus’ name, Amen.