Hope for Days of DepressionSample

Plea to Praise

I will sing to the LORD because he has dealt bountifully with me.

Psalm 13:6

The Psalm ends with David’s plea changed to praise. His sorrow is converted to a song that he vows to sing to the LORD. What brought forth this remarkable transformation? David confesses that YHWH has “dealt bountifully with me.” God has been good to His beloved child by hearing his prayers and answering them in a time of need! By this God testifies of his continual covenant faithfulness to David. David is the receiver of divine grace, and he is filled with gratitude towards God! God had saved him from all his trials and hence he sings to him a song! In this, we see that the saint’s proper response to God’s sovereign act of salvation is to worship Him! 

David can taste God’s goodness towards him in a tangible manner due to the great salvation which he has experienced. It is the one who has experienced the darkest night that appreciates the light of day most. Likewise, for David, his tribulations pressed him to such desperation that God’s salvation brought him the sweetest relief. Therefore, he sings! He cannot contain his joy. By faith, he witnessed God’s grace in his mighty act of salvation! This is the triumphal vindication of David’s faith. Even in the deepest affliction, he trusted himself to God’s grace! The Old Testament scholar Walter Brueggemann notes that in this Psalm, “in both plea and praise, the speaker places all trust in YHWH. In this case, the prayer of the faithful is not disappointed.” The believer can be assured that his faithful prayers to God will never be disappointed for God always deals bountifully to those who are in Jesus! 

The Christian can be confident God will deal bountifully for he has already done so in Christ Jesus! God has dealt bountifully with sinners even when we were his enemies by giving us His Son! Jesus has procured us salvation from Satan’s assaults and sin’s snares by dying on the cross! In His resurrection, Jesus has triumphed over the darkest night of God’s terrible wrath upon sinners. By trusting in Jesus, one can experience everlasting salvation! Even death is no more a terror for believers! Thus, whatever trials we face in life, we can confidently trust ourselves to God in prayer! God is the saint’s salvation and refuge (Psalm 62:6)! Thus, the believer sings to the LORD all day long! He is worthy to be praised!