February 28
But I trust in your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation. I will sing the Lord’s praise, for he has been good to me. Psalm 13:5-6
It’s likely David wrote Psalm 13 when he was fleeing from enemies like Saul or during a time of intense personal crisis. Whatever the reason for this psalm, it is clear that David is pouring out his heart to God. David begins Psalm 13 with a lament asking God if He has forgotten him and hidden His face from him. David feels abandoned by God. David is wrestling with thoughts that plague him all day long, and there is a perpetual sorrow in his heart. He feels pressure from his enemies and is in an intense state of physical and emotional exhaustion. Can you relate to David’s lament in the first four verses? Have you felt forgotten and abandoned by God? Have you experienced physical and emotional exhaustion?
After his lament, David makes a transition from complaint to confidence in verse 5. David moves from a plea of desperation (“How long?”) to a confident declaration of his faith and trust in God. David shifts his focus from his circumstances - fleeing from his enemies, despair, abandonment, and exhaustion - to God’s past faithfulness, and perhaps, surprisingly, his joy in salvation. David concludes Psalm 13 choosing to praise the Lord - even in bleak and desperate circumstances - because the Lord has been good to him. God’s unfailing love in David’s life is the reason his heart rejoices. God’s unfailing love is the reason David can sing praise to the Lord. God’s unfailing love is the reason for David’s confidence in God’s goodness in his life.
Notice the verb tense David uses when he says “my heart rejoices in your salvation.” It is written in present tense - not past tense (my heart rejoiced) nor future tense (my heart will rejoice). David is not waiting until his current circumstances have passed to praise God. He’s not waiting until everything is okay in his life. David understands that if he waits to rejoice and praise God only when life is smooth-sailing and there are no pressures or stressors, he will never rejoice or praise the Lord God who has been/is good to him. What about you? What about me? In the midst of trials and tribulations, uncertainties and fears, feelings of exhaustion and abandonment, are you able to say, “But I trust in your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation?” Am I able to say this? A heart that is able to praise the Lord is a heart that recognizes God’s unfailing love (looking back) and rejoices (in the present) in His salvation. Daily, I must choose to see God’s unfailing love and goodness in my life. In this way, my heart rejoices in His salvation - regardless of what is happening around me.
Father - I admit that it is easy to praise You and rejoice in Your salvation when things are going well in my life. I also admit that I quickly forget this when circumstances seem to pull me down, and I feel You’ve abandoned me. Forgive me. Remind me that You are always with me. That Your unfailing love is the same yesterday, today, and forever. Your goodness and love do not change. Help me to always trust and believe this truth. Continue working in my heart. In Your name we pray. Ame