◄ What Does Psalm 13:5 Mean? ►

But I have trusted in Your lovingkindness; My heart shall rejoice in Your salvation.

Psalm 13:5(NASB)

Verse of the Day

Like so many of the Psalms that were penned by David, this is a song which begins with him bitterly lamenting over his mounting distresses and weeping over life's cruel circumstances. However, it ends with him glorifying God and offering thanksgiving and praise for His goodness and grace. David was able to eventually cry in all his distresses and pain: "I have trusted in Your lovingkindness; My heart shall rejoice in Your salvation. I will sing to the Lord, because He has dealt bountifully with me." How precious is the Word of God.

Throughout this Psalm, David offers a number of rhetorical questions: How long will You forget me? How long will You hide Your face from me? How long shall I store up anxious thoughts in my heart? How long shall all my enemies triumph over me?

David felt that the Lord had abandoned him, but feelings should never cloud the truth of God's Word, for He has promised to be with us, even to the end of the age. Jesus Himself warned us that in this world we would have tribulation and Paul added that all who live godly lives will suffer persecution. But Christ Himself encouraged us with the words: "But be of good cheer for I have overcome the world." And Christ's victory on the Cross becomes our victory, and His resurrected life becomes our new life in Christ, for we are one with Him and members of His Body.

David did not keep on and on questioning the Lord, but remembered God's promises of old and so he began to petition the Lord for deliverance: 'Consider me Lord and hear my cry for help. Give light to my eyes and strength to my body for I feel I am going to die. Lord. Hear my prayer and let my cry come unto You 'in case my enemies think they have prevailed against me and start to rejoice!'

David came to understand that we are to rejoice in the Lord and in the power of His might, and that in everything by prayer and supplication we are to look to Jesus and make our requests known to the Lord. God knows all our needs because He is our Father Who delights to hear His children come to Him in trusting dependence for every eventuality of life.

Like David, we must never forget that our times are in His hands and that the day is coming when God will put all wrongs to right, and so we discover that David was finally able to confess: "But I have trusted in Your lovingkindness. My heart shall rejoice in Your salvation. I will sing to the LORD, because He has dealt bountifully with me."

One of the vital lessons of life we all must learn is that when God is given His rightful place in our lives, we too will be given the sufficient strength to live godly in Christ Jesus and will be enabled to rejoice in the Lord always and to sing praises to His holy name, even in our distresses and pain. He is our God and our hearts shall rejoice.

My Prayer

Heavenly Father, I trust in You and thank You that there are no circumstances of life that You do not know about. Thank You that in all things I am more than a conqueror through Christ Who loved me and gave Himself for me. May I rejoice in the Lord at all times and in everything, by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, make my requests known to You for I have trusted in Your loving-kindness and my heart rejoices in God my Saviour. In Jesus' name, AMEN.