Title: Hope Beyond the Suffering
Scripture: Psalm 13: 1 – 6
Preacher: Yap Chee Kai
SERMON OUTLINE:
1.0 Introduction
1.1 Begin with a story: a pastor protested the death of a young man.
1.2 Psalm 13 helps us to see where we ought to anchor our hope/trust upon in the midst of hopelessness/crisis.
1.3 How we can overcome our feelings of despair, total abandonment, and unspeakable loneliness through this psalm when everything seems hopeless?
2.0 Expression of Despair (vv.1 – 2)
2.1 v.1: “How long” is depicted twice here; David could no longer contain his protests for indeed his patience had worn to the bone.
2.2 v.2a: David’s sense of God’s abandonment and snowballing thoughts of hopelessness tormented him with another cry-out “How long.” The word “sorrow” in Hebrew יָגוֹן (yagown) means torment.
2.3 v.2b: The final cry out “How long” depicts David’s doubt if his enemy can be held at bay much longer. He began to doubt about God’s Word, God’s goodness and God’s plan.
2.4 The fourfold repetition “How long” forms a refrain; stressing David’s long-standing sense of abandonment and heightens his pain and doubts.
3.0 Expression of Prayer (vv.3 – 4)
3.1 v.3a: David demanded a response from God; to look at him as God has hidden His face from him (1b).
3.2 v.3b: David cries out to God, “enlighten my eyes.” Instead of being lost in death, he desires his whole being to be restored.
3.3 v.4: David’s enemy is mocking his fall with laughter. He certainly did not want this intolerable picture of defeat to be the final chapter of his life.
4.0 Expression of Hope and Trust (vv.5 – 6)
4.1 v.5: “But” is the magical word. It denotes the turning point of this psalm.
4.2 David chose to shift his focus to God’s unfailing love (hesed) and salvation.
4.3 His longstanding relationship with God, not only shapes his present suffering, but it also infuses hope that is deeper than his doubts.
4.4 v.6: Therefore, David is able to end with the highest note; with joyous praise and thanksgiving for indeed God has been good to him.
5.0 Applications
5.1 We have our own `pit’ in life. So, remember this acronym: PIT.
5.2 Protest: model this psalm and Jesus to pour out your feelings or even your protest to God. There is hope beyond the suffering because of Christ’s grace is suffice.
5.3 Invocation: a powerful psalm as it invokes God and places us in the hand of God. There is hope beyond the suffering because Christ is worth holding on to faithfully even when do not experience His presence.
5.4 Trust: in God’s unfailing love (hesed). There is hope beyond the suffering because of God’s goodness.
6.0 Conclusion
6.1 Ends with a story where it begun. Beyond the suffering, there is still hope. Let us pray.
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