Letters to the Family of God

Dear friends,

The 13th Psalm is a prayer of David against the sorrow and sadness which comes at times from the evil one or those who act against us with spite, cruelty, and vile intent. The result is despair, agony, and grief, as evil in various forms aligns against us. However, prayer, in Christ's name, is stronger, and this Psalm is our example.

This Psalm gives us an example by which we can be comforted in every kind of calamity, learning not to lose heart nor let these troubles eat at our souls. Instead, we learn to pray to God, crying out to Him in deep detail, letting Him know all our innermost feelings about these things and all that we're feeling in light of evil's attack. Because of Jesus, we know that we will be heard and finally delivered as James 5:13 says, is anyone among you suffering, let him pray.

Personally, the kind of honesty in Psalm 13 is a cherished gift to help us in our prayers. You see, sometimes the enemy is me. The Gospel tells me it is not the good people who are in and the bad people who are out; everyone who is in is only in by the grace of Jesus Christ. Only what Jesus has done for you at the cross gives you standing before God which matters. There is not one person, not even the greatest person in the world, who does not need the grace of Jesus Christ. And there is no one, not even the worst and most vile person in the world, who will fail to receive the grace of Jesus Christ if there is genuine repentance and faith.

We must realize that before Christ, the Christian was the very enemy of Christ (Romans 5:10) David was describing. It would be unhelpful to forget this. Small wonder Isaiah described Jesus as a man of sorrows and very much acquainted with grief/misery. Why? Jesus, in His earthly ministry, was continually hounded by His enemies. And it was our sin that put Him on the cross. We may find it easy to dehumanize our enemies, as they have done to us. However, Christ instead dies for His enemies. In that there is hope.

Therefore, like David before Him, and you and I after Him, Christ will spend His final moments before the cross in prayer, seeking refuge, but accepting God’s will. Subsequently, now we who belong to Him can say, but I have trusted in your faithful love. My heart will rejoice in your salvation. Yes, I will sing to the Lord because he has been good to me.

May God bless and help us to understand just how amazing grace is.

Pastor Joe