How Long, O Lord?

July 21st, 2025
by Lance Waldie

Psalm 13:1-2 For the choir director. A Psalm of David. How long, O Lord? Will You forget me forever? How long will You hide Your face from me? 2 How long shall I take counsel in my soul, having sorrow in my heart all the day? How long will my enemy be exalted over me?

This psalm is “for the choir director,” a verbal participle in Hebrew, referring to an overseer of a group of people. In this case it would be the overseer of music played in the tabernacle. Hence, this is a song to be sung—a deeply emotional psalm revealing the writer’s loneliness, pain of prolonged trials, and confusion as to why God has not changed his circumstances. Four times David cries out to God in the first two verses, asking “How long?” He calls God “Yahweh” (signified in English as Lord)— God’s personal name, showing that his relationship to God was familiar and friendly. Clearly the psalmist, long before the epistle of Hebrews was written, knew to draw near with confidence to the throne of grace to find help in his time of need (Heb. 4:16).

The psalmist here is David, beaten down, crying to God, and inquiring as to how much longer he was to suffer. This indicates that he had not recently experienced feeling abandoned but had endured it over a prolonged period. Note also that he did not accuse God of abandoning him per se. But his prolonged state does reveal that he is at the end of his proverbial rope.

Note four causes of depression in vv. 1-2. First, the feeling of having been forgotten. A quick survey of David’s life in 1-2 Samuel shows why. At one point he was ruthlessly chased by King Saul who wanted to kill him. He hid in caves wandering all over Israel trying to elude Saul. One day he was enjoying his wife (Michal) and his close friendship with Jonathon, and the next day he had no one. His wife was taken from him, and Jonathon was later killed in battle. The psalm may have had other occasions in mind, any of which could also have inspired Psalm 13.

Second, David complained that God had hidden His face from him. Four hundred years prior, God had commanded Moses and Aaron to bless Israel, and one of the blessings was that God’s “face” would shine upon them (Num. 6:25). To have God turn His face away implied an end of blessings. This is what happened when God the Father forsook God the Son (Mark 15:34), when Jesus became a curse on man’s behalf (Gal. 3:13). For God to turn His face away from His people was something to be feared, and David’s words reveal that fear.

Third, David lamented that he had to “take counsel” in his soul all day long. This meant that he was left alone with his thoughts—being lonely, fearful, even bereaved. Add to this that he felt like God had abandoned him. He thus despaired of the horrors of being alone and being left to bear his sorrow day after day, night after night. It appears to have exhausted him.

Finally, David asked God “How long will my enemy be exalted over me?” What may have confused David was the fact that the prophet Samuel had earlier anointed him as Israel’s next king (1 Sam. 16:12-13). Yet God was allowing King Saul to oppress him and be exalted over him. While David may have expected to grow in power, God was humiliating him by making him a refugee. But this is how God molds and makes men after His own heart. He humbles them, breaks them, and tears them down so He can then exalt them. Such was David’s life.

Food For Thought
A.W. Tozer said, “It is doubtful whether God can bless a man greatly until He has hurt him deeply.” Things change over time, but one thing that has never changed is God’s plan make His people suffer in order to mold them after His will. We may cry, “How long O Lord!” awaiting deliverance (cf. Rev. 6:10) while feeling completely abandoned by God. But know this: our feelings of abandonment are only feelings, and feelings often betray us. The truth is, Jesus promised that He would be with us always, even to the end of the age (Matt. 28:20).