Psalm 13

Psalm 13:1-6 How long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me? How long must I wrestle with my thoughts and everyday have sorrow in my heart? How long will my enemy triumph over me? Look on me and answer, O Lord my God. Give light to my eyes, or I will sleep in death; my enemies will say, "I have overcome him," and my foes will rejoice when I fall. But I trust in your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation. I will sing to the Lord, for he has been good to me.

I was reading this scripture yesterday and I thought of my Mom. I think this was her prayer. When mom received her diagnosis just over a year ago she had been traveling a difficult road for 8 years and she was weary. She went from being a homemaker, mother and wife to being forced into making a living for her children and trying to get an education so she would be able to support herself once her children were grown.

Over those 8 years there were moments of great blessings for my Mom. My sister and I both got married, we both had our first children, my brothers were involved in a show choir that she absolutely loved. But, I think that those moments were clouded by her circumstances. She was busy with school and that took time away from doing some of the things she wished she could with her children. She didn't have the means to provide for weddings, or to make trips to visit as much as she wished she could. Many times she would feel inadequate in her school work and she would say to me "Satan really has ahold of me right now."

Even in times when my Mom was discouraged, weary, weak and sad she was able to give thanks to the Lord. She clung to Him for hope. She knew that He would not forsake her and she continued to give to others that were in need and pray for those who were weak and weary.

The thing that really stayed with me from this scripture is the hope it gives. God promises us unfailing love (verse 5) has has given us the gift of salvation (verse 5), and no matter what he is good to us (verse 6).

There are people in life that you meet and you hear their story and think, "Can't they get a break? They have dealt with so much" and there are those people that seem to be overtaken by evil time and time and time again. Life on this earth is so far from perfect, we are plagued by divorce, illness, poverty, dishonesty, heartbreak and fear. But if we trust in the Lord, just as my Mom did, we are sure to receive our prize. God's promises are real, and at the end of our journey's on this earth our suffering and heartache will be gone forever if we have placed our faith in the Lord!

Psalm 14:7 Oh, that salvation for Israel would come our of Zion! When the Lord restores the fortunes of his people, let Jacob rejoice and Israel be glad!