Day 313 - The Psalm Perspective

Emily Green

“O Lord, how long will you forget me? Forever? How long will you look the other way? How long must I struggle with anguish in my soul, with sorrow in my heart every day? How long will my enemy have the upper hand? 3 Turn and answer me, O Lord my God! Restore the sparkle to my eyes, or I will die. 4 Don’t let my enemies gloat, saying, ‘We have defeated him!’ Don’t let them rejoice at my downfall. 5 But I trust in your unfailing love. I will rejoice because you have rescued me. 6 I will sing to the Lord because He is good to me.” - Psalm 13 NLT

Psalm 13 is one of my favorite Psalms because it displays what I call “the Psalm syndrome” perfectly. If you read through Psalms, you will notice that, often, these Psalms begin one way and end another. Most Psalms begin with David complaining about something or questioning God. However, towards the end, the tune changes, and David begins to thank and praise God. In other words, the situation starts badly, but it ends well.

What I love about the Psalms is how real they are. How many of us have experienced the “Psalm syndrome”? We complain about something or question God about our circumstances, and as we pray and cry out, our perspective begins to shift.

I love that David complains and pitches a fit in his Psalms because it gives us the freedom to do the same. However, he ends on a positive note. He questions God and then says that He trusts Him. He complains but then thanks God for His unfailing love.

It’s okay to tell God what you would love for Him to fix. It’s okay to tell Him your frustrations and complaints. However, at the end of the day, our perspective should be gratitude. Even if God doesn’t do what we wish He would do or answer us in the way we want to, we should be grateful that God is who He is, and He always knows what’s best!

Next Steps

  • Think about it: How often do I voice my frustrations to God?

  • Action Step: Be honest with God about your frustrations. Then, thank God what He’s done and what He’s doing. End your time with God on a positive note by praising Him.