Psalm 13 (NLT)
For the choir director: A psalm of David.
1 O Lord, how long will you forget me? Forever?
How long will you look the other way?
2 How long must I struggle with anguish in my soul,
with sorrow in my heart every day?
How long will my enemy have the upper hand?
3 Turn and answer me, O Lord my God!
Restore the sparkle to my eyes, or I will die.
4 Don’t let my enemies gloat, saying, “We have defeated him!”
Don’t let them rejoice at my downfall.
5 But I trust in your unfailing love.
I will rejoice because you have rescued me.
6 I will sing to the Lord
because he is good to me.
Isn’t this a bit of what we are all asking right now? How long oh Lord? Maranatha: come Lord Jesus and set things right. Bring your Kingdom of justice and righteousness.
I know that he is good and I, well I am sometimes good and sometimes selfish; sometimes just and righteous, but most of the time I think of myself. There is a line right through the middle of my heart that shows red on one side and black on the other.1
I will sing to the Lord because he is good. Yet, still I find myself saying, “How long Lord?” and “Please hurry.”
Naïve (Chris Rice)
How long until You defend Your name and set the record right
And how far will You allow the human race to run and hide
And how much can You tolerate our weaknesses
Before You step into our sky blue and say “That’s quite enough!”
Am I naive to want a remedy for every bitter heart
Can I believe You hold an exclamation point for every question mark
And can I leave the timing of this universe in bigger hands
And may I be so bold to ask You to please hurry?
I hear that a God who’s good would never let the evil run so long
But I say it’s because You’re good You’re giving us more time, yeah
‘Cause I believe that You love to show us mercy
But when will You step into our sky blue
And say “That’s quite enough, and your time is up!”
Am I naive to want a remedy for every bitter heart
Can I believe You hold an exclamation point for every question mark
And can I leave the timing of this universe in bigger hands
And may I be so bold to ask You to please hurry?
Am I naive…
Can I believe…
And can I leave… in bigger hands
And may I be so bold to ask You, to ask You, to ask You
How long?
Songwriter: Rice Christopher M, Naive lyrics © Clumsy Fly Music, Word Music, Inc. Obo Clumsy Fly Music
1. “…the line dividing good and evil cuts through the heart of every human being.” Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, The Gulag Archipelago 1918-1956.