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A Psalm of Complaint and Consolation

Dear Friends,

I've done my fair share of complaining to God, maybe you have
too. There are other times, not so many sadly, when I have offered
thanks to God and found consolation. I love the Psalms because
they are so human and often go through many emotions in the
same psalm.

Psalm 13 starts as a psalm of complaint:

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

It moves through asking the Lord to answer and give light, or
restore the power to live.

I'm sure many of us have felt hopeless at different times of our
lives, but have also received consolation from God, often in the
guise of another person.

The psalm ends with a confirmation of trust in God:

I 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.

When I am feeling low, I turn to the quotation I have in a Salvation
Army Christmas card on my desk:

The Lord is my light and my salvation, whom then should I fear?
Psalm 27

Every blessing Janet

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