“How Long, O Lord?”
Have you ever cried out, “How Long, O Lord? ” If so, take comfort, you are not alone. David asked the same question in Psalm 6.
Lord, have mercy on me. I’m so weak. Lord, heal me. My body is full of pain. My soul is very troubled. Lord, how long will it be until you save me? Lord, turn to me and help me. Save me. Your love never fails. Ps. 6:2-4
“How Long, O Lord?”
Suffering is defined as experiencing pain, distress, or hardship. In my Bible, I have my husband’s name written above Psalm 6. He can identify with David’s physical suffering. How about you? Are you also asking “How Long, O Lord?” Can you relate to this psalm?
Psalm 6 continues in verses 6-7: I am worn out from my groaning. All night long I flood my bed with weeping and drench my couch with tears. My eyes grow weak with sorrow…
Moving from Questions to Confidence
From a human perspective, we don’t understand why God allows suffering, let alone continuous and chronic pain. Even so, David is bold before God. He pleads for God to act and to heal.
What I love about David’s psalm of lament is that it eventually crescendos into a song of confidence. David’s assurance is based on God’s steadfast love. By verses 8-9 in Psalm 6, you can hear David’s confidence building.
The Lord has heard my weeping. He has heard my cry for mercy. The Lord accepts my prayer.
What faith David reveals! What confidence in God!
Dear God, the Father, I want to pray like David. He is honest and raw about his pain and sorrow. The question of “How long, O Lord?” is not answered in this psalm. However, the question of who do I trust and place my confidence is. Amen.
Questions to Consider:
- Why are you crying “How long, O Lord?”
- How will praying with confidence change your attitude toward God?
I love this . How wonderful that we can fully express our hurts and questions to God. His word is what can help us make it through any difficulty.
Several months ago as I was asking God a question about what would my mom say to me if my mon could talk to me when I was visiting her. She had not been able to express her thoughts due to her dementia for the last 5 years.
I felt the Lord lead me to look at one of her Last journals from 2015. As I skimmed the pages I know that God brought me to a verse that truly answered my question.
Psalm 130:5
I wait for the Lord
My soul waits and in His Word I put my Hope.
That verse gave me great peace as I also waited on God also In many different situations. What a blessing to be able to put our trust and Hope in Gods Word to help us make it through as we wait on him!
What a loving God we have that he gave us his powerful word.
Linda, thank you for sharing this beautiful example of the the power and hope that is available to us in God’s Word!