Psalm 13

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Psalm 13

 

This Psalm divides itself into three sections. The first section reveals a problem David is having. God seems distant in David’s view.

Psalm 13: 1 - 2 

 

The second section reveals David’s plea to God. David asks God to please answer him.

Psalm 13: 3 - 4

 

The final section shows us David’s praise. He would trust God based on past experience.

Psalm 13: 5 - 6

 

This Psalm shows us the frustration of someone who, rightly or wrongly, feels disconnected from God. Have you ever felt this way? Have you ever felt that you had lost your connection with God? Most of us have at one time or another. This lesson was shown to us in order to help guide us through these kinds of feelings. 

 

The first thing we should realize is that our connection to God is not based on our feelings or emotions. Feelings about God are subjective and unreliable. We may wonder if it is God, Satan, or my own self causing such feelings. Subjective religion leads to uncertainty. Subjectivity leads to doctrinal confusion and chaos. 

I Corinthians 14: 33

 

According to John, our connection to God is based on objective truth.

I John 2: 3 - 6

 

This means that we are connected to God through His word, and not through our feelings or our desires. 

 

Next, we should know that God is everywhere. He is especially with His children. Many passages of scripture show this to be fact. 

Psalm 139: 7 - 12

Acts 17: 26 - 28

Romans 8: 28

 

If God feels distant or if we feel disconnected from Him, the fault is ours, not His. 

 

 

This means it is up to us to keep ourselves near to God.
James 4: 8

 

So if we feel disconnected or far from God, we must ask ourselves who moved? It most certainly wasn’t God. 

 

What are some reasons we may feel disconnected from God? Sometimes our disconnect is accidental. We get too busy for God. 

Luke 12: 15 - 21

 

At other times our disconnect is intentional. We have chosen to live in sin. 

Isaiah 59: 1 - 2

 

In some cases, we disconnect out of anger. This sometimes happens when we lose a loved one to death. 

 

These things are the reason we have so many warnings about our priorities. 

Matthew 6:33

Matthew 10: 37

Matthew 16: 24

 

Sometimes our disconnection from God comes about from other circumstances. God does not always do what we want. He is not our magic genie, there to give us our every desire. 

James 4: 13 - 17

 

Then again, God may do what we want, but not in the way we want it done. We may ask Him to grant us patience, and He gives us trials to build our patience. 

James 1: 2 - 4

 

Then we must also remember that God does not always work on our time table. Joseph had to go through years of hardship. 

Isaiah 40: 31

 

These things are tests of faith. We must trust that God is always there with us, no matter what happens. 

 

In view of these facts, what can we do when we feel disconnected?

 

The first thing we must do is to constantly feed our faith, not our doubts. When we do this, our faith strengthens and our doubts weaken. Unfortunately, it works the other way, too. So we should feed the right one. 

 

Next. we should have a strong and vigilant prayer life. This should be done along with studying the scriptures. 

Philippians 4: 6 - 7

II Timothy 2: 15

 

We should get connected with other Christians by assembling on a regular basis. 

Hebrews 10: 25

I Peter 4: 9

 

Finally, we must get connected to reality by focusing our thoughts. 

Philippians 4: 8

 

Pursuing sin is a dead end fantasy. 

 

I hope this lesson has helped you to think about what is going on with you during those times you feel disconnected from God. I also hope that it has given you some guidance about your personal obligation to keep yourself connected to God. 

 

However, if you are not a Christian, then you haven’t even made a connection to God yet. Why not begin that connection right now, by obeying the gospel of Jesus Christ? 

Mk.16:15-16