How Long, Lord?

<p>As a teenager, one of the reasons I didn’t believe in God was because I didn’t think God cared about my individual struggles. There were people in far worse situations who needed God’s help, so I didn’t think He cared about me. It certainly didn’t feel like He listened to me when I tried praying. There were times I would beg God for help, but I wouldn’t hear a sound.</p><p>.</p><p>However, I found myself reading the psalms one day, and I came to Psalm 13. As I read the first few verses, I had never related to something in the Bible more in my life! The author, David, begins by saying, “How long, Lord? Will You forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me? How long will I store up anxious concerns within me...?” (verses 1-2).</p><p>.</p><p>It appeared as if David understood me. For the first time ever, I could relate to someone in the Bible—that is, until I got to verses 5 and 6, when David says, “But I have trusted in your faithful love; my heart will rejoice in your deliverance. I will sing to the Lord because he has treated me generously.” How could David go from agonizing over his struggles and feeling like God wasn’t listening... to trusting, rejoicing, and singing to God?</p><p>.</p><p>As I read David’s words, I realized that, even though he had struggles like me, David had a completely different relationship with God. He had a completely different understanding of God than I did. After reading Psalm 13, I decided I needed to figure out if God really cared, if He could be trusted, and see if I could gain the same understanding of God that David did.</p><p>.</p><p>Years later, I would come to understand that God does hear our prayers and He answers them all. However, it just isn’t always how or when we want Him to answer them. But God always reveals Himself to those who seek Him (Psalm 9:10; Jeremiah 29:13). And He loves each one of us. He demonstrated this love when Jesus—God in flesh—came to live among us, die on the cross for us, and rise from the dead so that we could live with Him forev