A former boss of mine had a saying that it is fine to complain, good even, but only when you complain to someone who can change the situation. Her rationale was that productive complaining can lead to positive change, but complaining to people who can’t do anything about the issue only stokes further dismay. Likewise, it is fundamentally different to complain to God vs. to anyone else. Because prayer is not idle. God hears us. God knows us. God is powerful to change us and our circumstances. God can turn the world upside down, raise the valleys and bring down the mountains, still the raging storms, and create with a word.
Psalm 13 is a complaint against God, to God. It is considered a Psalm of lament--crying out to God, making a formal complaint. The Bible contains a lot of Psalms of Lament. Out of all of the genres of Psalms, Praise, Thanksgiving, Trust, prophetic psalms, etc. Psalms of lament are the most numerous. 1/3 of the Psalter are considered Psalms of Lament.
What a wonderful God we worship who can handle all of our anger, all of our sadness, all of our despair. All of us. All of ourThese Psalms are gifts to us, gifts that remind us that it is okay to be angry at God. And it is okay for God to feel far. Even David, felt that way. God is not threatened by our anger. Instead, God invites us to bring our whole selves to him in prayer. God loves us, each of us, exactly as we are.
“How long, O Lord? Will you forget me for ever? How long will you hide your face from me?”
The Psalmist cries out to God in anguish. The length of suffering feels so long that the Psalmist worries it may last forever. We don’t know how long the trouble has lasted, but it feels like forever. It could be generations of oppression or poverty. Or it may be a shorter period of time that feels like forever. Anyone who has called an ambulance for a sick relative knows that even a short wait of a few minutes feels like forever when the situation is dire.
The next verse suggests some reasons for the suffering. There is confusion, grief, and defeat. This covers a lot but also is just suggestive of the many reasons that we might feel far from or forgotten by God.
I wonder when you read the psalm if you identify with that feeling of being forgotten by God. Whether it be illness, grief, relational challenges. Or perhaps it is by looking outward at the scale of suffering from natural disasters, war, and harmful policies. There is no end to the sources of lament in our lives and world.
Following this initial plea, the Psalmist turns in verse three to the demand. The Psalmist demands God answer. “Look upon me and answer me, O Lord, my God.” The Psalmist then points to the enemies, God, don’t let my enemies rejoice in seeing me fall. Don’t let my enemies mock me—answer me!
And after this verse is a change. I wish I could know what happens between verses 4 and 5. Because we move from the demand right into praise. Did God answer? Does the praise come as a result of the answer, or in anticipation? I have to wonder if the Psalmist is still waiting on the answer from God, but has reminded themself of God’s character, and the history of God’s actions in their life. Something has pulled them from lament into a reminder of God’s mercy and God’s saving acts. Perhaps in remembering the saving help that God has provided in the past, the Psalmist is able to move through the immediate grief into being hold that grief together with a hope for a future where God saves.
History is powerful. Remember God’s miracles. Throughout the old testament, people would put up stones or markers as signs to remember how God had been present to them in that place. Jacob puts up a stone to remember his vision of God. Samuel erects a stone to remember where God prevailed over their enemies. These reminders are critical reminders that the community can turn to when facing the next crisis or concern. If God has provided in the past, we know that God can do it again.
What are the moments you can hold to, in your own life, in your community, or in the life of the church, when you can remember God’s presence with you? When you have seen God do amazing things? Those are the moments to memorialize, so that you can turn to them in need. Keep a journal of them. Write them on plaques on the church wall. Tell the stories to your children and your community. I imagine that between verses 4 and 5, the Psalmist is remembering God’s faithfulness. Perhaps they looked around and even though God felt far, the reminders of God’s presence, the answered prayers were visible.
The verses of praise start with “But.” All of the lament is true, and it may still be true—the situation may not have changed yet, BUT two things can be true at the same time. You can be filled with doubt, BUT put your trust in God’s mercy at the same time. You can be in the depth of grief, BUT still have hope. You can have anger and fear, BUT still sing to the Lord. And that is the difference with what we are able to do through God’s grace. Even in the valley of the shadow of death, we are not without hope. We are not alone. God is with us, in our anger, in our despair. And God can bring us back to a place of hope.
There are three things that I hope you can takeaway about this Psalm, and many of the Psalms of lament:
1) First, they Give us permission to complain to God. The Psalms teach us how to pray. Jesus uses the Psalms as his own prayers to God. We should feel empowered to pray to God with the authenticity of the Psalmist. Be honest with God.
2) Secondly, I hope that this Psalm remind you that you are not alone. Not only is God with you and hearing you in the midst of your challenges, but also there are others throughout the church and throughout history who have prayed this Psalm too. People who might share some of your thoughts and feelings.
So the Psalm gives us permission to complain to God, it reminds us that we are not alone…
3) And lastly, the Psalm also show us a template to move from despair to hope. From lament to praise. Even if you aren’t ready yet to move from verse 4 to 5. Even if your prayer ends with petition, rather than praise. God shows us through the psalm that through bringing our anger and fear and everything else directly to God, God can blossom hope in the midst of lament. Our God is a God of resurrection. A God who makes a way out of no way. Who can create worlds out of a word. Even when it feels like all is lost, we can cling to Jesus, remembering how he rose from the dead, and we can hold on to hope because we serve a God who saves.
Amen.