How Long, Lord?
March 2025
The Psalmist cries out to God, asking: How long? He says “How long, LORD? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me?” (Psalm 13:1, NIV) Have you ever lamented how long to God? How long must you be in angst? How long before you see your children come to the Lord? How long must you stay in a job that doesn’t satisfy you?
Lament is a passionate expression of grief where God meets us in our time of sorrow. David’s how long lament shows we will sometimes feel forgotten and even forsaken by God. Notice that this lament isn’t silenced by a popular song in church or dismissed by an uncomprehending friend. David’s lament is taken directly to God in the form of prayer. God permits David and each of us to lament, and as we cry out to him in lament, He answers in His time.
This Psalm of David also addresses the experience of God’s hiddenness—those times when life is so hard God seems absent. David asks how long God will forget him and hide his face from him (Psalm 13:1). His heart is full of sorrow because his enemies are oppressing him (Psalm 13:2). These oppressors even celebrate the bad things happening to him (Psalm 13: 4).
Recently, we heard about efforts by President Trump's administration to eliminate USAID, the international humanitarian and development arm of the U.S. government. The organization known as the Department of Government Efficiency was created by an executive order by President Trump on January 20, 2025, with the stated purpose of reducing wasteful and fraudulent federal spending, and eliminating excessive regulations. USAID has assisted over 100 nations in conflict and other “strategically important countries” by alleviating poverty, disease, and other crises, according to a report by the Congressional Research Service.
When things get this bad, it is common for us to think God has abandoned us. Like David, the most natural way to process our experience is to question God. “Where are you? Why aren’t you acting? Why are you letting this happen?” But if God remains silent, like David all we can do is ask God to act in our favor (Psalm 13:3).
Despite David’s experience, emotions, and assumptions about feeling God has abandoned him, David holds fast to the truth of who God is. The psalm ends with a confession of trust. David says that he trusts in God’s unfailing love (Psalm 13:5). We are called like David to offer our lament to the Lord and trust that we will see God’s power, love, mercy, justice, righteousness, plans, and purposes accomplished during this season of Lent.
A blessed Lenten Season!
Pastor Loreno R. Flemmings
