Just recently, I took my mother to Colorado for her last grandchild’s graduation. The day of our departure, our flight kept getting delayed. The concern became that if we were delayed any longer, we might miss our connecting flight. There was nothing we could do about it BUT wait and hope that it all worked out.
We will all face delays in our lifetime. We will not understand those delays. We will spend enormous amounts of energy asking “why” with no concrete answer. It can be extremely difficult in the delays; especially the ones that we can’t fix. Our only response is to wait.
In Psalm 13, David shares his duel with delays. It really is a battle for him…and for us! David says, “How long?” “How long will I wrestle with my thoughts?”
Have you ever wrestled with your thoughts? Have you ever had so many emotions and thoughts running through your brain that you didn’t know what to do? Where to start? How to fix the problem? I sure have! David even uses the word “sorrow” to describe his heart. This word means that his emotions are stressed; experiencing distress, even painful regret. Maybe his mind begins reeling with thoughts and feelings of where things have gone wrong because HE did some things wrong. Ever been there? I sure have.
In the midst of his dueling with delays, David asks God for revelation. “Give light to my eyes”. This means “enlighten me” or “help me understand”. It’s as if David was saying that if you don’t help me figure this out, I am doomed and the enemy wins.
You have an enemy against your soul. Sometimes we can be so overtaken by his schemes and lies that we need revelation, an awakening to Truth, or he is going to win.
BUT. This little word gets thrown into the mix. BUT. Used in so many ways, “but” in Psalm 13:5 is used after a negative, for introducing what is true, instead. David makes a declaration in the middle of the delay.
“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.” You see, delays demand declarations.
Delays Demand Declarations
In the middle of the delay, we can declare “But I trust You.” Look at the choices and declarations David makes: 1) choosing to trust, because God loves him, 2) choosing joy, because God has and will save him, 3) and choosing to sing, because God has been good to him.
These are the three truths we can declare in the midst of our emotional dueling with delays.
“Trust”- to be confident in
“Unfailing Love”- consistent zeal towards another
“Rejoices”- to delight in
“Salvation”- saved and delivered
“Sing”- to celebrate someone in song
“Good”- treated with undeserved goodness and kindness
Based on the definitions of these words, we might say it like this:
“BUT I am confident in Your consistent zeal
towards me; my soul delights in the fact that You have saved me and delivered me from the snares of the enemy. I will celebrate You in song because You have treated me with undeserved goodness and kindness.”
So may I encourage you this week that if you are dueling with delays with all kinds of thoughts and emotions trying to take you all over the place, get yourself to the BUT and declare these truths over your life. This will steady and anchor your heart.
You are loved,
Jena
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