Psalm 13: How Long, O Lord?

This series was originally recorded at The Cove in Asheville, NC.

Summary

Every believer eventually walks through a long, dark tunnel of suffering. In this sermon on Psalm 13, Dr. Michael Easley explains how David models honest faith when God feels distant and pain refuses to end.

David begins with a raw lament: “How long, O Lord?” He feels forgotten, abandoned, and surrounded by enemies. Like many believers facing illness, loss, betrayal, or grief, David wonders if God has turned His face away. Yet the psalm shows that faith does not require pretending everything is fine. Scripture gives believers permission to bring their deepest fears and questions directly to God.

The psalm then shifts from lament to petition. David asks God to consider him, answer him, and enlighten him. Like many of us, he longs to understand why suffering happens. But Easley reminds listeners that maturity often means learning to live with unanswered questions.

Finally, the psalm ends with a deliberate choice. Despite unchanged circumstances, David trusts God’s covenant love—His chesed, His loyal love rooted in His character. Because of who God is, David chooses to rejoice and sing.

The tunnel may feel endless in the moment, but suffering will not last forever. When believers feel abandoned and exhausted, the only place to turn is the same place Peter turned: to Jesus, the One who alone has the words of eternal life.

Takeaways

• Every believer will eventually walk through a season where God feels distant and suffering feels endless.
• Psalm 13 shows that honest lament—asking “How long, O Lord?”—is a biblical expression of faith, not unbelief.
• Spiritual maturity often means learning to live with unanswered “why” questions.
• God’s love for believers rests on His covenant character and Christ’s work, not our performance.
• David chooses to rejoice not because his situation changed but because God’s loyal love never changes.
• When suffering leaves us nowhere else to turn, Jesus remains the only One with the words of eternal life.

To read the Psalms, click here.

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