But….
They are small words, but very important words, words that we use routinely without much thought. Conjunctions are connecting words. We have all served our time in English class memorizing those lists of conjunctions and determining their function in a sentence. The particular conjunction that convicted my soul today is a word used to express a contrast between two ideas or thoughts. It’s a small word that changed my perspective on this chilly, winter day.
King-elect David was feeling forgotten, abandoned by the God he had loved and served with such devotion. As Psalm 13 opens, David is lamenting over the trouble in which he finds himself. His enemies are overwhelming him; he is tired and frustrated. He serves an omnipotent God, a God Who never forgets, yet these thoughts are pouring from David’s heart: “How long wilt thou forget me, O LORD? forever.” Old Testament saints were no different than New Testament saints, and David was voicing the same questions about the sovereignty of God that I find myself wrestling with from time to time. I love the fact that David is open and honest at the feet of His Friend and Guide. The enemy was prevailing in his life and David’s God appeared absent. But…
To be honest, the question of “how long” has been on my mind lately. David had sorrow in his “heart daily.” Emotionally, intellectually, physically, and spiritually David was spent, and so am I. The enemy loves to pounce when we in the midst of a trial, a valley, a rough road. He loves to plant the thought that God has somehow abandoned His children, that we must fend for ourselves, that our “enemy be exalted over” us. Thankfully a thought crosses the mind of David, a contrast in his dreary situation, a small contraction…and that thought lifted this weary saint today.
In the midst of his present confusion, David was reminded of his past. Has God ever failed him? NEVER! Had David’s enemies ever consumed him? NOT ONCE! With those thoughts in mind, David declares: “BUT I have trusted in thy mercy.” In contrast to the gloom of his present situation, David dwells on the past victories of God in his life, those tender mercies that God had provided repeatedly for his servant, and the small contraction turns his heart from depression to praise, from fear to rejoicing, from complaining to thankfulness. He was never forgotten in the past, and his God would certainly not be absent in his present or future.
Before Israel entered the promised land of Canaan, Moses presented a series of sermons reminding God’s people of their history and God’s past faithfulness. Yes, they would face challenges, dark times, but the God Who was faithful in the past would not abandon them in the future. I needed that reminder today. I may be on a temporary rough patch, BUT God has been merciful to me. I may be discouraged, BUT my God is still on His throne. I may not understand the circumstances surrounding me, BUT God is still working those circumstances for my good. May my heart join David’s as he praises his God, as he sings “unto the LORD, because he hath dealt bountifully with me.” May we see beyond our present and review in our mind’s eye the blessings that have filled our past, and realize that our God NEVER forgets. The road may be bumpy and we may feel forgotten, BUT great is HIS faithfulness!
Psalm 13:5,6 But I have trusted in thy mercy; my heart shall rejoice in thy salvation. I will sing unto the LORD, because he hath dealt bountifully with me.
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