O Lord, How Long – Part 1 of 2

Will be fire, and additional share mighty Junior welcoming you to another broadcast from the Baptist Bible G me being a free will. Will you be the knee is a cc see all she easy breeze sign each view taken time to write mission recent days. We do depend on our mistress for support if you're one of those missions and has intended to write, but never has done so. I encourage you to do that need is particularly great.

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Turn with me to the 13th shawl read Psalm 13 beginning with the first verse.

How long wilt thou forget me, Lord, forever.

How long wilt thou hide thy face from me.

How long shall I take counsel in my soul having sorrow in my heart daily. How long shall my enemy be exalted over me consider and hear me oh Lord my God, lighten my knives. Lest I sleep the sleep of death, lest mine enemies say I have prevailed against him and those that trouble may rejoice when I am moved 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. This Psalm divides itself neatly into three major points we see first, the complaint.

Secondly, the prayer and finally the victory. First, the complaint, the question is asked how long wilt thou forget me will. This is a question often asked is recorded in the Psalms. It is a question that no doubt had been often asked by God's people through the years not been times in your own experience when you to have asked Lord, how long it seems that that has forgotten me.

It seems that the waves dark, the burden is heavy. Lord, how long it seems to the psalmist at this time that the Lord does not even look upon his struggle that he does not notice his deep hurt and there is nothing more distressing than to feel we have been abandoned the field that no one really cares, and particularly to reach the point that we wonder does God care. How is it that I must carry such a heavy burden. How is it that so many things can be standing in opposition to me how many things seem to be falling apart and why is it that the Lord doesn't seem to take notice how all Lord forever.

How long wilt thou hide thy face from me. How long will it be one thing to feel a great need to be caring a heavy burden of the Lord in prayer and feel God has heard me the wonderful privilege to come to him call upon his name asked for his blessing and believe that he has heard me. I may not see an immediate answer but just the peace of mind the sentence within that God has heard me is a great relief in itself, but if were trying to pray and sing to the Lord doesn't take any notes we've gone to a repeatedly and it seems our prayers did not gain admittance into his presence then were praying the Lord. How long Jeremiah describes such an experience.

In the book of Lamentations chapter 3. He hath hates me about that.

I cannot get out.

He hath made my chain heavy.

Also when I cry and shout, he shouted out my prayer is a sense of urgency in those words. Jeremiah had already spoken to the fact that he felt that the Lord had said him as a mark for the arrow. Jeremiah was the target. God had sent the era of affliction and he was deeply affected by but not to make matters worse, in this moment of great distress. He begins to pray or try to pray, and it seems that his prayers are empty. They're going nowhere. So now with the great additional anxiety feelings because there's such an emptiness.

The Lord seem so far away. Since I cry shocked somehow getting added that if he could just lift his voice. Surely God would take note of.

But though he says I cry and shout, he shouted out my career description here seems to be one who has a sense at this time that the blessings of the Lord have been removed.

He can recall happier days. He can recall those seasons when the Lord was very near to him seemed to bless him and prosper him in so many different areas of his life, but now he asked how long how long wilt thou hide my face from me.

We sing to him how tedious and tasteless. The hours when Jesus no longer I see sweet prospect, sweet words and sweet flowers have all lost their sweet without that since the Lord's presence, even things that have been precious to us things that have been meaningful to us things that we've enjoyed seem all to of lost their beauty. Nothing really is right for the child of God. If he doesn't have a sense of closeness and communion with his heavenly father. That's always asking Lord, how long wilt thou hide thy face from notice how this language differs so much from some of the things we hear in our day heard a man say just a few days ago that if you would write to him. He would send you a little package of water. Water from some source. I didn't get all the details but it would guarantee that you would start down a road of success and there were people in the audience clapping their hands and cheering and excited about the fact that they too might be able to partake of this water that would get them on the road to riches. Many advocate the idea that if you really follow the Lord. It won't be any days of darkness there won't be any seasons when you would ever cry as did David hear Bart how long wilt thou hide thy face that whole concept is is totally foreign to the thinking of many professed Christians. But surely we can relate to a struggle.

Surely we know what it is to go through those times when it seems the Lord is hidden his face, it opens up a large subject in itself, we could talk about the many reasons as to why God hides his face. The purpose that he has in it the good things that he brings about as a result of, but suffice it to say for the moment that is a fact and reality in the Christian's life that the Lord does at times hide his face when his face is hidden, it does seem that whatever blessings have been hours things are not as they once were those days when the Lord seem to be smiling on us of past, and so many facets of life had become difficult and unpleasant.

It may be true concerning marriage.

I went over to see couple pledge their love to each other express their desire to have a God honoring marriage to see them committed to each other and enjoying one another's company and then is months or years may pass to observe that there is conflict there is misunderstanding the stress there's a great amount of unhappiness.

Obviously, it may well be the result of sin on the part of both husband and wife are primarily as a result of the sin of only one member of that family.

But ultimately there comes a thought been one's mind is, there is still a desire to keep life on track to maintain this marriage to the glory of Christ, and one tries to pray Lord come to our rescue. Help us to resolve these differences bless that this marriage may be.

What started out to be. And then it seems that once again the Lord is hidden his face was no immediate response from heaven. There's no turning of events, there's no softening of hearts. So the question is asked Lord. Where are by abundant blessings that we had in days gone by, may also be as parents struggle with a rebellious child. I think back to the pleasantness of those days when the child was first born, the sweetness of caring that when one of their arms. The great anticipation of seeing that child develop and grow to see the grace of God being bestowed upon them to see that God is at work and it not only is a family that is bringing honor to God. But as a result, there is joy within the family itself as the parents take pleasure in bringing their children up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. But at those times when it seems that the blessings are withdrawn. What had people say I prayed and I've prayed, pray to the Lord would turn this child around prayed to the Lord would change their mind touch the heart. The thing to be different with all of the praying that sometimes goes all the troubles prevail, the difficulties continue those good times that were enjoyed earlier are only a fond memory the many problems that you encounter at work, certainly can be thankful if you have a job in which there is even though Tim Tatian to compromise your principles. You never asked to do anything dishonest. You can always put the Lord first serve him for like picture adequately compensated. You thank God for it. Then things can turn sour today. There is constant change in the business community. Companies are sold. Executives move along policies are changed. What was at one time a pleasant working atmosphere can become painfully difficult person cries out. Lord, what is happened.

I felt so wonderfully blessed in this job. I was there able to provide for my family and while there may be a lot of reasons as to why the changes, and sometimes it could be chastisement upon the individual who has put their interest in the job and their interest in material things before the Lord himself and the rod of correction is falling, but nevertheless it's a time of challenge. More importantly, there is that situation of your own spiritual life you try to read the word and you draw very little comfort from it. You struggle to understand it.

So Nunnally do you have difficulty in prayer you have difficult industry to the work you know you need to study the word you need to read that you need to feed upon it. You need to meditate upon to find it to be a struggle to great task for you cold environment. Spiritual things may look around. Since that other people are getting more out of the service that you are your then asking the question, what's wrong with me. Why is it that I can see other people that are humble and godly zealous seemed to delight in talking about the Lord talking about his word, but I strode along with a great sense of barrenness in my own so it's easy then at that moment for Satan to begin to launch his attacks certain there are times that soul-searching is necessary and the date of such struggle. It's appropriate to pray the prayer Lord certainly try make me to know what's within me, but often if the darkness prevails very long the individual rather than truly coming humble before God and asking for forgiveness for any failures is repeatedly playing back the scenes of the past, trying to come up with some answer to the question why, why has the Lord withdrawn these comforts. Why is my life now so difficult. Where is the blessedness that once I knew as the hymn writer expressed. What are the sins that have driven the holy dove from my breast wasn't about. I've seen people in such a time of darkness and struggle that they were dredging up the sins and failures of many years to keep condemnation upon themselves and try to figure out what all of this time of difficulty really like me, often in that state. One comes to the position of questioning their own salvation could be that I've actually had an experience of grace this dark season has lingered on for so long. I found such difficulty in prayer, I found such cold is what I tried to approach the Lord. It seems that he has given his face and turned his back on me. How could it be that I'm one of you, Lord, how long how long sometimes a great question can be asked in the Lord's church.

All of us love the harvest season to beautiful timely year. The leaves are changing the crops are gathered in see the evidence of an abundant harvest. I would love to see that in the kingdom of God.

We love to see those happy seasons where the gospel is preached and people are immediately touched by what people are deeply convicted, confessing their sins. Acknowledging their unworthiness, but expressing their confidence and trust that Jesus Christ is the Savior giving evidence of great faith in him. We love to see the seasons of ingathering then there comes a time of winter coldness, there comes those times that finally they ground must be plowed of the seed must be so, and plowing over rough ground and sowing the seed is not nearly so pleasant as gathering in the harvest the day in which were leaving it increasingly difficult to be able to labor effectively in the Lord's kingdom. Satan is constantly launching is attacked in a variety of ways the world is drawing God's people after it little offenses cause someone to veer off course failure to implement biblical principles to resolve problems gestate growing coldness and indifference toward the things of God, how I would grieve to see it relate to say how long Lord, how long over those happy season when the Lord smiles upon us for those wonderful days of uplifting revival when the Lord poured out a great blessing and we see people hungry for the word with your people ready to talk about the Lord and what the messages meant to them what God is doing in their life and they do like to give him praise and glory.

Then David goes on in verse two of the Psalm to again say how long how long shall I take counsel in my soul having sorrow in my heart daily here. Then he goes on to admit to depressing faults, dark faults, troubled emotions, they were very hesitant to admit to such deep struggles to find the hymn writers of years gone by, often describe them beautifully. Sometimes I read the publications that were popular among our people. 100 years ago or longer read many experiences akin to what the psalmist describes as people were willing to admit I sometimes find myself in darkness.

I sometimes am struggling against great doubts and fears.

David says there sorrow in my heart daily daily see other biblical examples of it. Elijah great prophet of God gained great victory on the top of the mountain as he called upon the Lord to bring down fire from heaven and burned up the sacrifice on the altar upon which the sacrifice rested and licked the water out of the beaches and the people shouted the Lord he is God, the Lord is God, and 800 the profits of bail were put to death right after that great victory became a day of darkness.

Jezebel says I will take your life. You think a man like Elijah with all of this courage and faith to stand there and called for the God of heaven terrain fire down on the wet altar would not of been afraid of that but the flan running get out of town goes, a distance finally out of the woods in a state of exhaustion. He falls down and begins to groan and ask God just taking on why I'm a living know why I'm here instead of your experience and that Agrippa found that right after a great victory for time of special uplifting blessing. That's when Satan attacked. That's when you solve it. There was something that was vicious and something that was unsettling and something that was disturbing you and and see how confused Elijah was, why is he running why is he hiding out wise.

He traveled miles on foot because he doesn't want Jezebel to get the juniper trees and get that confused. One moment you're saying one thing and little bit later you change your tune your sense of that out you just plain old mixed up. Though these are some of the dark, troubling, confusing faults, but God's people may have surely as we read the language of the Psalms, we can often see it vividly describing our own experience and I would have to concede that there are those seasons when we cry out with the psalmist, old Lord, how long are those pleasant days when the Lord returns with two discomforts. I hope that you were ridership Baptist Bible power box 17 own 37th Cincinnati, OH 45217 two. We greet you next time. This will share Bradley Junior bidding goodbye and may God bless and will and in a nice and all