How long?

In Psalm 13:1, David cries out of his very soul.
– How long, O Lord? Will You forget me forever?"
I've felt like this recently. To be honest, I feel like this a lot.
I'm not saying I've fallen away from God, never to be found again. Don't start up that pity train just yet.

I think there's more to this prayer than just despair.
I can't put my finger on it, but there's just something about this prayer that keeps me thinking.

The first couple of lines of this psalm sound like desperate cries, but they quickly melt away into what can only be called "uncompromised faith".

Was David bi-polar?
No. I don't think so. They didn't have PC terms like that back then.
So, if he wasn't bi-polar, what's the deal?

I think it's got something to do with the fact that David really knew where he stood in the eyes of God.
He never doubted that God loved him. He also never doubted that God would punish him when he did something stupid.
It's as if David truly knew God as a father. He did NOT see God as some unseen force in heaven waiting to slap him around if he was bad or throw gold into his pockets if he was good.

I like to do this with my boys too. They know I love them. Sometimes I'll do something for them, usually buy them a new game or toy, for no reason. Just because.
When they ask why, I just say, "Just because I wanted to do something for you".

This is the part I love. When they do something stupid, they immediately come to me and tell me what they've done. Sometimes they come to me quicker if their brother has done something wrong, but I'm working on that with them.

They come to me because they know I can help them fix it before it gets out of hand.
They also know I'm not going to kill them for what they've done.
I usually ask them why they did (or didn't do) it and then I'll help them make it right.
After it's been made right, I will divvy out counsel or punishment depending on the offense.
They willingly accept it because they know what they've done is wrong.

I think they're going to turn out alright.

God thinks that about us, you know. I can just feel it in my heart.
He knows we're going to make mistakes, but He also knows we're going to be alright.
Because He's seen it already.

I guess that's what David was saying.
This sucks right now... I don't like feeling alone when I know God is right there.
But I know I'm gonna be alright, because God told me so.

Simple enough, huh?