"Lord, how long will You look on? Rescue my soul from their ravages, My only life from the lions.” (v.17)
Once again, as in many psalms, David seeks the Lord for help in his conflict with the wicked. Most bible scholars agree the occasion of this psalm seems to be his fleeing from Saul (I Samuel 24). Throughout this psalm David pleads his righteous case to God. He asks that his adversaries receive from the LORD what he has received from them (vv.1-10). But here in out text he seems to be questioning God’s timing, His lack of immediate action, “how long will You wait? Rescue my soul.”
Boy does this sound familiar. How often do we want what we want right now? How often have we questioned God’s plan, His will, His timing? When we find ourselves in the midst of struggles, it often feels as though help is far away, that our enemies are winning, and that our prayers are going unheard and unanswered. And it is this seeming "silence of God" that feels the most confusing.
During these times it is important to go to God’s Word and refresh ourselves with His promises and direction. Scripture tells us that, “His hand is not so short that it cannot save, nor His ear so dull that it cannot hear. But your sins have made a separation between you and God” (Isaiah 59:1). Therefore, it is normal for believers in times like this to go through a period of self-examination, to see if the silence is a result of anything on their part.
It is never a bad thing to reflect and wait on the Holy Spirit to show us if there is anything standing between God and us. However, there are also times when God is not silent because of our sins, but because He has simply pulled quietly back. This means we are experiencing God’s silence while He is still very much WITH us.
When His voice seems far off, how do we respond? We continue to pray, fellowship, read the Word, and share His love. The silence of God is not the same as the absence of God; and we must remember that He has already promised to never leave us or forsake us.
The Truth: Jesus said to His disciples, “I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:20)
