David’s Feelings vs. Truth, v.1-2. David, feeling perplexed and abandoned, asks God four times, “How long?” God, how long will you forget me? (1a) Andrew Fuller said, “It is not under the sharpest, but the longest trials, that we are most in danger of fainting.” David’s feelings were competing with truth. Can God forget? Can omniscience fail in memory? (Spurgeon) Romans 11:33-36, “O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out! 34 For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been his counsellor? 35 Or who hath first given to him, and it shall be recompensed unto him again? 36 For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen.” Isa 46:8-10, “Remember this, and shew yourselves men: bring it again to mind, O ye transgressors. 9 Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me, 10 Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure:” Isa 40:13-14, “Who hath directed the Spirit of the LORD, or being his counsellor hath taught him? 14 With whom took he counsel, and who instructed him, and taught him in the path of judgment, and taught him knowledge, and shewed to him the way of understanding?” God's knowledge is exhaustive. The Omniscience of God encompasses even the minute details. He numbers and names the stars! (Psalm 147:4) He knows the hairs on your head. He knows every bird! (Matthew 10:29-30) He knows the unseen details of your life. There is nothing hidden from Him. His knowledge is penetrating. He knows you better than you know yourself. (Psalm 139:1-4) Still, He does not withhold His love and forgiveness! Romans 5:8. 1 Cor. 6:11, “And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.” God, how long will you hide Your face from me? (1b) What is truth here? God is all-present. God is everywhere all the time. There is no place in heaven or hell that God does not exist. There is no place in the entire universe where He is not. God is at the same time present in every part of the universe. He has no spatial limitations. He is not barred from any physical location. Nor, is He limited within any place which He is present! He is everywhere, all the time…He is always “all there”…everywhere that He is! “Suppose Him infinite, and then suppose there is anything besides Himself, and His presence with that thing; wherever it be, doth necessarily follow, for if He be so bounded as to be in He essence distant from anything; He is not infinite.” (John Owen) Psalm 139:7-10, “Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence? 8 If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there. 9 If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea; 10 Even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me.” God is Omnipresent — Let this bring great encouragement to you. God is with us in the midst of every trial and adversity. David’s emotion said, “You are forgotten.”But Truth demands God would never forget him. His emotion said, “You are forsaken.” But Truth describes God’s state of being as making that impossible! God, how long must I battle depression? (2a) His emotional state was leading him to realize his own inability to deal with his troubles. But the truth is — God is all-powerful! He is omnipotent! God is all-powerful in all of existence. There is no place in the entire universe in all of history where God is not exerting His power. Everything and Everyone is dependent on God’s power for existence. Charles Hodge: “We can do very little. God can do whatever He wills. We, beyond very narrow limits, must use means to accomplish our ends. With God means are unnecessary. He wills, and it is done. He said, Let there be light; and there was light. He, by a volition created the heavens and the earth. At the volition of Christ, the winds ceased, and there was a great calm. By an act of the will He healed the sick, opened the eyes of the blind, and raised the dead. This simple idea of the omnipotence of God, that He can do without effort, and by a volition, whatever He wills, is the highest conceivable idea of power, and is that which is clearly presented in the Scriptures.” There were storm clouds in the sky, but the sun was still shining! (Wiersbe) Ephesians 3:20-21, “Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, 21 Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.” Isa 40:28-31, “Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? there is no searching of his understanding. 29 He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength. 30 Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall: 31 But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.” Jeremiah 32:27, “Behold, I am the LORD, the God of all flesh: is there any thing too hard for me?” Job 42:1-2, “Then Job answered the LORD, and said, 2 I know that thou canst do every thing, and that no thought can be withholden from thee.” God is omnipotent! It is not a struggle for God to bring about His will. God is not dependent upon human actions / nor limited by them. God and Satan are not in a fair fight. God prevails without effort. God, how long will the enemy win? (2b) Only for a time! God is sovereign. His rule and authority transcends time and space. Nothing is outside of God’s scope. Psalm 93:1-5, “The LORD reigneth, he is clothed with majesty; the LORD is clothed with strength, wherewith he hath girded himself: the world also is stablished, that it cannot be moved. 2 Thy throne is established of old: thou art from everlasting. 3 The floods have lifted up, O LORD, the floods have lifted up their voice; the floods lift up their waves. 4 The LORD on high is mightier than the noise of many waters, yea, than the mighty waves of the sea. 5 Thy testimonies are very sure: holiness becometh thine house, O LORD, for ever.” Psalm 103:19, “The LORD hath prepared his throne in the heavens; and his kingdom ruleth over all.” As Sovereign, He has the right to rule, govern, and preside over all things. He is supreme in rank, power, and authority. Psalm 96:10, 97:1, & 99:1 all declare, “The Lord Reigns.” He has all power over His enemies. The devil is not sovereign. There can only be one who is, and the one is Almighty God. Satan is more powerful than you or me…On our own…But, his power is nothing compared to the power of God…And we are not ever on our on!!! The extent of God’s Sovereignty includes our circumstances. The future rests in His hands. (Not mine, yours, or any other human) Our destiny is not dependent upon chance! God is actively involved in our lives! God’s reach isn’t limited to just past and/or future events. God is sovereign over present reality. He may not control ever decision you make today…But, be sure that He controls today. Practical application: David expressed these feelings. (Forgotten, Forsaken, Insufficient, Inferior) David didn’t give in to these feelings. Jer. 17:9, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?” 1 John 3:20, “For if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things.” “David eventually learned to replace the question “How long, O Lord?” with the affirmation, “My times are in your hands” (31:15). This is a lesson that all believers must learn.” (Wiersbe) Though David’s emotions were temporarily winning, Truth wins out in the end. Prayer, v.3-4. Consider me, hear me, light up my eyes. So that I do not die. So my enemy doesn’t prevail. So my accuser cannot rejoice. David’s prayer was no “self-help” mantra. It was a prayer directly for self — but it rests in God’s ability and not his own. I feel forgotten — consider me. I feel forsaken — hear me. I feel inadequate — liven me up! I feel inferior — allow me to prevail against my enemy. Trust, v.5-6. When we are honest with self and honest with God…We can put our emotions to the test against truth. This allows our prayer life to be powerful and not pouty. Which results in a healed trust in God. I trust your mercy. Your unfailing love. Your steadfast love. I rejoice in your salvation. I sing to you. Do you want to conquer the negative emotions of depression? Do you want to get past feelings of being forgotten or forsaken? Do you want to make your enemy tremble though he is buffeting you in such ways? SING!!! Sing unto the Lord! Psalm 96. Acts 16:25-26, “About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them, 26 and suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken. And immediately all the doors were opened, and everyone’s bonds were unfastened.” Matthew 26:30, Mark 14:26, Jesus and His disciples sang a hymn to conclude the passover supper. What do I sing about? You have dealt bountifully with me. David’s singing came from an acknowledgment of the fact that God had always been so good to him! **Conclusion: ** When your circumstance drives you to wonder, “How long?” Put the Truth you know up against the emotions you feel. Pray. Get on your knees humbly and battle from there. Trust. God is merciful, His love is steadfast, He can deliver. Sing. God, you have dealt bountifully with me.