How long?

How long? I guess it is a legitimate question. David asked it a lot. It makes me less hesitant knowing that he did, since I would like to ask it too. How long, O Lord? 

"How long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me? How long must I take counsel in my soul and have sorrow in my heart all the day?"

I remembered a video that my dearest friend sent to me about a year ago and the verses from Lamentations 3:

 

He turned aside my steps and tore me to pieces;

He has made me desolate;

He has filled me with bitterness;

He has walled me about so that I cannot escape;

He has made my chains heavy;

though I call and cry for help,

He shuts out my prayer;

My soul is bereft of peace;

I have forgotten what happiness is;

My endurance has perished;

so has my hope from the Lord.

And what it said about them:

God choose to include this in the Bible. He put this in there for you who suffer. Because God knows how you feel. And God needs you to know that He knows how you feel.

I can relate to the words. Sometimes I do feel like that; God is not listening to me! I don't know why. And yes, I was surprised that they were in the Bible. And the fact, as it said, that God chose to include them. Makes me wonder as well. "Sometimes what you need is a God who walks through this with you." Yes, I do. And yes, You do, Lord. You walk with me.

Every time David asked though, he always ended up with - but... affirmation, proclamation.

"But I have trusted in your steadfast love; 

my heart shall rejoice in your salvation. 

I will sing to the Lord, 

because he has dealt bountifully with me."

~Psalm 13:5,6

"But we your people, 

the sheep of your pasture,

will give thanks to you forever;

from generation to generation

we will recount your praise."

~Psalm 79:13

 "But the Lord has become my stronghold,

and my God the rock of my refuge."

~Psalm 94:22

So, I too will say: 

"But this I call to mind,
    and therefore I have hope: 

The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases;

his mercies never come to an end;

they are new every morning;

great is your faithfulness.

"The Lord is my portion," says my soul,

"therefore I will hope in him".

The Lord is good to those who wait for him,

to the soul who seeks him.

It is good that one should wait quietly

for the salvation of the Lord."

~Lamentations 3:21-26 

Keep CZECHING IN!