Another “not my will” morning! I’ll use Psalm 20 for Temple worship today.

My Shepherd met me in His green pastures and laid me down in Psalm 13. Verse one latched onto my spirit and clung to me:

Psalm 13:1 ¶ How long wilt thou forget me, O LORD? for ever? how long wilt thou hide thy face from me?

I fear sounding maudlin. Except that the word maudlin gets its meaning from the profound repentance of Mary of Magdala and her depth of love for the Saviour Who delivered her from seven devils (Luke 7:36-38; 8:2).* And I wonder sometimes whether the depth of David’s maudlin disposition was derived from his own sensitivity to his sin, and whether the heights of his elation derive from his experience of God’s mercy and grace.

Consider how often David despaired and cried to his GOD, “How long” (Psalm 6:3; 13:1-2; 35:17; 74:10; 79:5; 80:4; 89:46; 90:13; 94:3-4).

David often felt like we often feel. His words carry our heart to God’s, and God’s heart to ours. Psalm 13 is a beautiful example of this.

Four times, David asks how long (two times in verse one and two times in verse two). He pleads, how long will you forget me? how long will you hide your face from me? how long will I be left to the counsels of my own soul with sorrow in my heart? and how long will my enemy be exalted over me?

The last petition adds to the grief caused by the prior complaints. Grief always feels longest when there is someone out there gloating over your calamity, especially an enemy.

David felt like he would die if God did not give him some relief (Psalm 13:3) and deliver him from the boasting of his enemy (13:4).

As I walked with my Shepherd along the still waters, I thought about David, once again cast down and oppressed by the enemy of depression, for a cast down spirit is more an enemy than any other.

David began asking God how long He would forget, while God was waiting for David to remember. David remembered how many times he had trusted in God’s mercy, and immediately the cloud lifted: “My heart shall rejoice in thy salvation. I will sing unto the LORD,” he said, as he remembered how God had dealt bountifully with him (Psalm 13:5-6).

The problem is never with God’s memory; it is with our own.

In the valley shadowed by His Cross, I remembered my GOD Who has dealt bountifully with me! I remembered the mockery He endured there, surrounded by mocking enemies. He stepped out of the shadow in His resurrection glory, and I saw Him there looking at me with His eyes as a flame of fire, peering into my heart. He spoke, and the sound of many waters carried His message to my soul: “If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me” (Revelation 1:12-18; Luke 9:23).

At the table, He anointed my head with His oil and filled my cup with His grace. Goodness and mercy followed me as I followed Christ into the harvest.

Praying for revival! 🙏

Going live asap:

https://rumble.com/v710c98-shepherds-pasture.html

[*In humble service to those who get angry that I should “conflate” the unnamed repentant woman of Luke 7:36-38 with Mary Magdalene, from whom Jesus cast seven devils (Luke 8:2, don’t fret so over so little a matter. The word Maudlin is a contraction of Magdala, used to identify Mary Magdalene. The jealous protective instinct of those who would rescue Mary Magdalene from the censure of being identified with the unnamed woman of Luke 7 might be laudable except it betrays the same spirit that condemned her in Simon’s house (Luke 7:39-49). If not emulating the ire directed at that pitiable woman, at least it is seen in the ire directed at pitiable me. The word maudlin derives its meaning from the idea that Mary was tearful and mournful. Mary was possessed by seven devils (Luke 8:2). Most reasonable people see her in the unnamed woman who presented herself to Jesus in much weeping, expressing her gratitude for His mercy extended to her sometime before (Luke 7:37-38). By the way, the argument against identifying the unnamed woman of Luke 7 with Mary Magdala mentioned in Luke 8 is not definitive. There is as much reason to make that connection as there is to dispute it, and, in fact, there is more to recommend it than not. It is very reasonable to expect that Mary Magdalene, out of whom Jesus cast seven devils, had been a prostitute, a seductress, a “sinner,” delivered from her demons by Jesus and expressing her gratitude in the excessive manner described in Luke 7:37-38.]