{"id":677,"date":"2009-02-15T03:01:39","date_gmt":"2009-02-15T03:01:39","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/markdroberts\/2009\/02\/sunday-inspiration-from-the-high-calling-41.html"},"modified":"2009-02-15T03:01:39","modified_gmt":"2009-02-15T03:01:39","slug":"sunday-inspiration-from-the-high-calling-41","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/2009\/02\/sunday-inspiration-from-the-high-calling-41.html","title":{"rendered":"Sunday Inspiration from The High Calling"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u201cHow Long Will you Forget Me?\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n

Psalm 13:1-6<\/a><\/p>\n

O LORD, how long will you forget me? Forever?
\nHow long will you look the other way?<\/p>\n

Psalm 13:1<\/p>\n

Psalm 13 is a desperate cry to God. It is an example of the groaning prayers we\u2019ve been considering in recent Daily Reflections. David\u2019s soul was filled with anguish because of the apparent success of his enemies, and because of their boastfulness in defeating him. So he cried out, \u201cO LORD, how long will you forget me? Forever? How long will you look the other way?\u201d
\nIf this cry weren\u2019t a part of the divinely-inspired Word of God, we might be tempted to rebuke David: \u201cGod hasn\u2019t forgotten you. He isn\u2019t looking the other way. You shouldn\u2019t be praying like this!\u201d But Psalm 13 and many other throughout the Psalter express an unsettling boldness before God. David says exactly what he feels, without holding back. To be sure, there\u2019s a time to sort out the theological issues associated with David\u2019s struggle. But there is also a time to let God have it, to lay before him every thought, every fear, every desperate desire.
\nPsalm 13 encourage us to bring ourselves before the Lord as we are, to open our hearts honestly in prayer. It exemplifies the freedom we have to approach God with utter confidence and full expression. As it says in Hebrews 4:16: \u201cSo let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.\u201d
\nQUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION: Have you ever prayed like David in Psalm 13:1? When? What happened when you prayed this way? What helps you to be honest with God in prayer?
\nPrayer <\/strong>
\nO Lord, by your grace, I\u2019m not crying out to you in the way of Psalm 13:1 today. But there have been times, many times, when it seemed as if you had forgotten me. Though my theology said this doesn\u2019t happen, my heart felt forgotten. How thankful I am that, in times like these, I have the freedom to tell you exactly what I\u2019m thinking and feeling. Thank you, gracious God, for being willing to listen to whatever is in my heart.
\nAlthough I\u2019m not in a place of desperation today, I know many people who are. So I lift them before you now . . . . [Pray for those who are going through hard times. If you\u2019re in such a place, tell the Lord exactly how you feel and what you\u2019d like from him. Don\u2019t hold back!]
\nHow I thank you, Lord, that you do hear my prayers and do answer, according to your wisdom and in your time. How grateful I am for all those times I\u2019ve been able to echo David, not just in verse 1 of Psalm 13, but in verse 5 as well: \u201cBut I trust in your unfailing love. I will rejoice because you have rescued me.\u201d For hearing my desperate cries, and for rescuing me so many times, I thank and praise you, dear Lord. In the name of Jesus my Savior, Amen.
\nP.S. from Mark<\/strong>
\nIf you want to discover more about honest, unbridled prayer, I\u2019d point you to my book: No Holds Barred: Wrestling with God in Prayer<\/a><\/em>. This book is an exposition of several psalms. It encourages us to grow in the breadth and depth of communication with God.
\nDaily Reflections from The High Calling.org <\/em><\/strong>
\nThis devotional comes from The High Calling of Our Daily Work <\/em>(www.thehighcalling.org<\/a>). You can read my Daily Reflections<\/a> there, or sign up to have them sent to your email inbox each day. This website contains lots of encouragement for people who are trying to live out their faith in the workplace.
\n\"high<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u201cHow Long Will you Forget Me?\u201d Psalm 13:1-6 O LORD, how long will you forget me? Forever? How long will you look the other way? Psalm 13:1 Psalm 13 is a desperate cry to God. It is an example of the groaning prayers we\u2019ve been considering in recent Daily Reflections. David\u2019s soul was filled with…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":214,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-677","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-sunday-inspiration"],"yoast_head":"\nSunday Inspiration from The High Calling - Mark D. 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Roberts","description":"Mark D. Roberts: Thoughtfully Christian Reflections on Jesus, the Church, and the World","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/#\/schema\/person\/1ff094a57b7e41f534434b1723df3d73","name":"Mark D. Roberts","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-content\/wphb-cache\/gravatar\/f2d\/f2ddf5f080861f66ea230384f9d1bab2x96.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-content\/wphb-cache\/gravatar\/f2d\/f2ddf5f080861f66ea230384f9d1bab2x96.jpg","caption":"Mark D. Roberts"},"description":"The Rev. Dr. Mark D. Roberts is a pastor, author, retreat leader, speaker, and blogger. Since October 2007 he has been the Senior Director and Scholar-in-Residence for Laity Lodge, a multifaceted ministry in the Hill Country of Texas. Before coming to Laity Lodge, he was for sixteen years the Senior Pastor of Irvine Presbyterian Church in Irvine, California (a city in Orange County about forty miles south of Los Angeles). Before his time at Irvine Pres, Mark served on the staff of the First Presbyterian Church of Hollywood as Associate Pastor of Education. (Thanks to Janel Pahl for taking the photo to the right.) Mark studied at Harvard University, receiving a B.A. in Philosophy, an M.A. in the Study of Religion, and a Ph.D. in New Testament and Christian Origins. He has taught classes in New Testament for Fuller Theological Seminary and San Francisco Theological Seminary. Mark has written several books, including No Holds Barred: Wrestling with God in Prayer (WaterBrook, 2005), Dare to Be True (WaterBrook, 2003), Jesus Revealed (WaterBrook, 2002), After \"I Believe\" (Baker, 2002), and Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther (Word, 1993). His most recent book is Can We Trust the Gospels? Investigating the Reliability of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John (Crossway, 2007). He is currently working on a commentary on Ephesians that will be published by Zondervan in 2014. Mark writes a devotional for The High Calling of Our Daily Work, a website associated with Laity Lodge. His \"Daily Reflections\" can be viewed online or sent as a daily email. If you wish to receive this email, just visit TheHighCalling.org and sign up. Mark serves on the editorial board of Worship Leader magazine, where he publishes articles and reviews, including his regular column \"Lyrical Poetry.\" Additionally, he has published dozens of articles in leading magazines and journals. He often speaks for churches and other Christian groups, and has been interviewed on over seventy-five radio programs nationwide. Mark is married to Linda, who is a Marriage and Family Therapist, a Spiritual Director, and a retreat speaker. They have two children, Nathan and Kara.For Publicity Photos and Bio Statements for Mark, please check here. Mark's Dossier Professional History: Senior Director and Scholar-in Residence, Laity Lodge, October 2007 to present. Senior Pastor Irvine Presbyterian Church, June 1991 to September 2007 Adjunct Assistant Professor Fuller Theological Seminary, 1994 to 2007. Courses: New Testament Theology and Exegesis. Adjunct Instructor San Francisco Theological Seminary, 1995 to 2001. Courses: New Testament Greek and Exegesis Associate Pastor of Education First Presbyterian Church of Hollywood, 1987-1991 Teaching Fellow Harvard University, 1980-1983 Education: Ph.D. in the Study of Religion. Harvard University, 1992. Area: New Testament and Christian Origins M.A. in the Study of Religion Harvard University, 1984. A.B. magna cum laude in Philosophy Harvard University, 1979. Phi Beta Kappa; Danforth Fellowship Books: Can We Trust the Gospels? Investigating the Reliability of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Crossway, 2007 No Holds Barred: Wrestling with God in Prayer. WaterBrook, 2005 Dare to Be True: Living in the Freedom of Complete Honesty. WaterBrook, 2003. Jesus Revealed: Know Him Better to Love Him Better. WaterBrook, 2002. After \"I Believe\": Experiencing Authentic Christian Living. Baker, 2002. Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther in the Communicator's Commentary Series. Word, 1993. Contacting Mark: You can reach Mark at: E-mail: mark@markdroberts.com mroberts@laitylodge.org Phone: Laity Lodge: (830) 792-1216 Address: Laity Lodge 719 Earl Garrett Kerrville, TX 78028","url":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/author\/mroberts"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/677","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/214"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=677"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/677\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=677"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=677"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=677"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}