Day 19: Psalm 13

To understand the Psalms, we really have to free ourselves from the idea of religion. When I say religion, I’m describing a life that bends into moral behavior because it is afraid of divine consequences.

If the only category we have for God is piety and religion, the Psalms won’t make any sense and they will actually offend us. Take Psalm 13 for example, it is a Psalm of disorientation:

How long, Lord? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me? How long must I wrestle with my thoughts and day after day have sorrow in my heart? How long will my enemy triumph over me? Psalm 13:1-2

The only thing religious about this is that it’s spoken directly to a Holy God. Some of the most heartbreaking statements that have ever been spoken to me have come from my children. In moments of rage, they have said hurtful words. At the same time, the fact they said it and I allowed them to speak with such passion shows my ultimate value. My highest value is not their flawless behavior, it’s an honest relationship with them. That’s what the Psalms of disorientation teach us about God. We should free ourselves from religion and walk into the presence of God with honesty. If that sounds troubling to you, give yourself permission to pray the Psalms. Take the lines above and pray them to God. Through the years, when I haven’t had words, I have just prayed the Psalms. In the same way that Jesus prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane - that not his will but God’s be done. I think it’s helpful to conclude the prayer the way David concludes his:

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. Psalm 13:5-6

Even if you don’t feel that way, it’s true. The Psalms don’t just give us language to speak our frustration, they give us language to trust God even when we don’t know how.

Try praying the Psalms today. They aren’t not stuffed in a religious museum. They are right here in our weary world ready for us to use.

Jared