How long, Lord?

How long, Lord?
— from Psalm 13

Four times, David asks that question.
Not once.
Not twice.
Four times.

Ever been there? You know…
Waiting.
Wrestling.
Wondering if God sees you, hears you, even remembers you?

Psalm 13 is raw, real, even painful to read. It starts in shadows—“How long will You hide Your face from me?”—but it doesn’t end there.

By verse 5, the tone shifts—shadows pushed back.

“But I trust in Your unfailing love;
my heart rejoices in Your salvation.
I will sing the Lord’s praise,
for He has been good to me.”

Did the circumstance change?
No.
But David’s focus did.

Faith doesn’t mean we never cry, ache, or question. Far from it.

Faith means we cry to God, ache with God, and trust in God—especially when questions rise and answers do not.

So today, if your heart is heavy,
if you’re living in a “how long?” season…
don’t hide your sorrow.
Bring it to the One who sees it already.
And—like David—dare to say:
“But I trust…”
“But I will sing…”
“He has been good to me.”

Morning Prayer:
Lord…
Some mornings feel heavy before they begin—the ache, the waiting, the questions dressed as logic but fueled by fear.

But today, today is different…
Today, I lay my weary “how long?” beside David’s prayer. It still hurts—but I choose to trust, to rejoice, to sing.

You’ve been good to me.
And I know You’re still writing goodness into my story.

So I breathe,
I look up,
I begin this day with trust.
In the name of The One who best models trust… Amen.

How Long, Lord?
Rooted & Rising Collection
© 2025 Craig H. Smith