Unwavering
Psalm 13[1]
I would say that we have a “funny”
relationship with faith. Some of us try to make too much of it, and others not
enough. At least that’s my observation. For some, faith is something that is
something we accept without question. In fact, we may have been explicitly
taught not to ask the “wrong” questions of our faith. You know, those questions
that nobody can really answer. There’s not much difference between a faith that
doesn’t ask questions and “magical thinking.” For others, faith is something
that we can seemingly “take” or “leave.” We may have been taught to question
everything, and faith doesn’t get a “pass.”
From this perspective faith is simply like any other feeling we may
have: it “comes” and “goes,” and we only practice it when we “feel” like it.
Somewhere between these two
extremes lies what is, I think, our true experience of faith. We all have high
points in our lives when faith seems absolutely real to us because of the way
it moves us deeply. And we all have other times when faith seems to just
“evaporate into thin air.” Whether it’s due to trauma, or discouragement, or
just plain boredom with the routines of life, in those times we just can’t seem
to muster any faith. It may be hard for some of us to admit that, because we’re
not “supposed” to have trouble with faith. And some of us may conclude that
because faith ebbs and flows, it’s not worth the effort.
One of the beautiful features of the book of
Psalms is the fact that faith is expressed in a variety of ways and in all
kinds of situations. Whether faith takes the form of an expression of serene
trust, or an urgent plea for deliverance, or even a complaint that God seems
absent just when we need him most, the Psalm singers expressed their faith
simply by turning to God. There’s a lesson in that for us, I think: whether our
faith is strong or weak, the act of turning to God is in and of itself an act
of faith. I’m not sure we give ourselves enough credit for this!
In our Psalm for today, the faith
expressed is not one that exists in perfect peace.[2]
The Psalmist cries out in desperation, “How long, O Lord? Will you forget me
forever? How long will you hide your face from me?” (Ps. 13:1). The faith
expressed in this Psalm takes place in the midst of an intense crisis. Despite
that, the Psalmist can conclude, “I trusted in your steadfast love” (Ps. 13:5).
The fact that this faith is apparently couched in the past tense can be
misleading. It is more of a timeless statement: I have trusted in your love, I
trust in your love now, and I will always trust in your love.
That’s a powerful expression of
faith! It’s not based on our experience or how we feel about it. It’s based on
the character of God. It’s an expression of trust in God to love us with a love
that will never let us go. And so the Psalmist can say: “my heart shall rejoice
in your salvation. I will sing to the Lord, because he has dealt bountifully
with me (Ps. 13:5-6). It seems ironic that the tone of the Psalm changes so
quickly from despair to joy. Sometimes it happens that way, and sometimes it
doesn’t. In fact, in the Psalms give us a view of faith that includes a wide
variety of situations.
Sometimes faith means that we sit and “wait”
for the Lord. It’s not a matter of waiting aimlessly, but rather waiting in the
hope that the Lord will deliver us. Psalm 62:5 reflects this posture: “For God
alone my soul waits in silence, for my hope is from him. He alone is my rock
and my salvation, my fortress; I shall not be shaken.” In times like those,
faith means seeing through the sometimes harsh facts of life to the unfailing
love of God that underlies and pervades and upholds all of life. That’s what
makes it possible for us to wait in hope.
At other times, faith means that
we stand in faith and watch for God to answer. This posture is more active.
Psalm 27:13 expresses this approach: “I believe that I shall see the goodness
of the Lord in the land of the living.” Sometimes we find ourselves in
impossible situations, situations in which it seems that there’s no way out. In
those situations, our faith means that we “stand and watch” for God to carry
out his purpose.
Then there are times when faith
means that we walk in obedience. Psalm 25:4-5 says it this way: “Make me to
know your ways, O Lord; teach me your paths. Lead me in your truth, and teach
me, for you are the God of my salvation.” One of the most important examples of
faith in the Bible is Abraham. In
obedience to God’s call, he set out on a journey not knowing the destination
(Heb. 11:8). Although he and Sarah lived to see their son Isaac born, there
were other elements of God’s promise that they never saw fulfilled. And so it
is for us—through faith we walk in obedience even when we may not understand
our experience with life.
Faith is a resource for every
season of life. Whether we’re in crisis, or discouraged, or even questioning
the value of faith itself, the very act of turning to God is itself an act of
faith. We can do that in a variety of ways—whether it’s noticing the beauty of
nature, or the purity of a child’s heart, or the warmth of friends who stay
true through thick and thin. These practical steps can help us remember that
God always cares for us like a loving shepherd. Whatever posture our faith may
take, we can keep turning to God again and again without wavering by paying
attention to all the ways God sustains us with love that never fails.
[1] © 2020 Alan Brehm. A sermon delivered by Rev. Alan
Brehm, Ph. D. on 6/28/2020 at Hickman Presbyterian Church, Hickman, NE.
[2] Cf.
James L. Mays, Psalms, 79: “The psalm
leads those who read and pray it from protest and petition to praise; it holds
all three together as if to teach that they cohere in the unity of prayer.”
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