How Long, Lord?: Advent Hope from Psalm 13

Devotional

Day 1: Hope begins in honest lament and trust.

Psalm 13 models how waiting often begins with raw honesty — complaints, questions, and the repeated cry “How long?” — yet it moves the faithful to turn toward God, to ask to be seen, and to stake hope not on immediate proof but on God’s unfailing love; this is Advent’s posture: acknowledge the darkness, speak truth to God, and then choose to trust even before the answer arrives. [58:11]

Psalm 13 (ESV)
1 How long, O LORD? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me?
2 How long must I take counsel in my soul and have sorrow in my heart all the day? How long shall my enemy be exalted over me?
3 Consider and answer me, O LORD my God; light up my eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death,
4 lest my enemy say, “I have prevailed over him,” and those who trouble me rejoice because I am shaken.
5 But I have trusted in your steadfast love; my heart shall rejoice in your salvation.
6 I will sing to the LORD, because he has dealt bountifully with me.

Reflection: What one honest “How long, Lord?” can you name today, and will you bring that exact complaint to God in prayer this evening before you do anything else?

Day 2: Messiah brings light, justice, and abiding hope.

Isaiah 9 announces the coming child whose rule will carry justice, peace, and enduring hope; Advent invites remembering that promise — Israel’s long wait for a deliverer who will shoulder government and be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace — and lets that promise steady weary hearts across generations of longing. [55:28]

Isaiah 9:6 (ESV)
For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

Reflection: Who in your life needs the justice, peace, or counsel that only Jesus brings—one specific person or situation—and what is one concrete step you will take this week to pray for that need daily?

Day 3: God enters our waiting as sacrificial love.

The promise “For God so loved the world…” reminds that Advent is not abstract optimism but God stepping into waiting as sacrificial love; God’s gift of the Son means the answer to “How long?” comes in a manger — God with us — so in the season of waiting the congregation is invited to anticipate and receive the same love that came to bind up sorrow and bring renewal. [01:15:35]

John 3:16 (ESV)
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

Reflection: Identify one habitual worry you bring to God; tonight, explicitly thank God for the gift of Jesus in that area and ask for one evidence of His presence you can look for this week.

Day 4: Waiting on the Lord renews strength and endurance.

Biblical waiting is active dependence: Isaiah 40 promises that those who wait on the Lord will have renewed strength, will soar on wings like eagles, and will not grow weary — Advent waiting trains patience and trust, reminding the congregation that waiting often means God is quietly preparing and strengthening them for what is to come. [01:07:40]

Isaiah 40:31 (ESV)
but they who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.

Reflection: Where in your weekly routine can you build a five-minute daily practice of “waiting on the Lord” (a short prayer, scripture, or silence) that you will commit to for the next seven days?

Day 5: Remembering God's past provision builds present confidence.

Recounting times God provided — like meals multiplied or medicine unexpectedly given — becomes a spiritual resource that reshapes present doubt into hope; remembering God’s past goodness kindles trust in His character and helps one sing of salvation even before circumstances change, making memory a first step back into courageous hope. [01:10:36]

John 6:1-13 (ESV)
1 After this Jesus went away to the other side of the Sea of Galilee, which is the Sea of Tiberias.
2 And a large crowd was following him, because they saw the signs that he was doing on the sick.
3 Jesus went up on the mountain, and there he sat down with his disciples.
4 Now the Passover, the feast of the Jews, was at hand.
5 Lifting up his eyes, then, and seeing that a large crowd was coming toward him, Jesus said to Philip, "Where are we to buy bread, so that these people may eat?"
6 He said this to test him, for he himself knew what he would do.
7 Philip answered him, "Two hundred denarii would not buy enough bread for each of them to get a little."
8 One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, said to him,
9 "There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish, but what are they for so many?"
10 Jesus said, "Have the people sit down." Now there was much grass in the place. So the men sat down, about five thousand in number.
11 Jesus then took the loaves, and when he had given thanks, he distributed them to those who were seated. So also the fish, as much as they wanted.
12 And when they had eaten their fill, he told his disciples, "Gather up the leftover fragments, that nothing may be lost."
13 So they gathered them and filled twelve baskets with fragments from the five barley loaves left by those who had eaten.

Reflection: List one concrete memory of God’s provision in your life; how can you record or share that memory this week (a journal entry, a conversation, or a thank-you prayer) so it becomes a practical resource for your present hope?

Sermon Summary

Advent begins with hope, not the thin kind that crosses its fingers, but the sturdy confidence that God keeps his promises. Psalm 13 gives us honest words for this season. It starts in the dark: “How long, Lord?” Many of us know that question well—from doctor’s offices, waiting rooms, and midnight thoughts we can’t shut off. Advent doesn’t require us to pretend; it invites us to tell the truth about our sorrow and our longing. Lament is not faithlessness; it is an act of faith that brings our pain to the One who can bear it.

In Psalm 13 there’s a shift: “Look on me and answer me, Lord my God.” Nothing in David’s circumstances has changed, but his direction has—he turns toward God, not away. Advent is that turn. We face the darkness, but we keep praying, keep reading, keep trusting. Waiting does not mean God is absent; waiting often means God is preparing. Like a child on a stage scanning the crowd for a familiar face, our souls steady when we know we are seen. David longs to be seen, and so do we.

Then comes the hinge: “But I trust in your unfailing love.” Hope is rekindled, not by visible results, but by remembering God’s character. I shared the story of a mission clinic in Guatemala where unexpected provision overflowed—five boxes of needed medicines supplied before we could ask. Moments like that become stones of remembrance we return to when we’re tempted to forget. The disciples had their baskets after the feeding of the five thousand; we have our own “leftovers” of grace.

This is why we return to Scripture again and again. Like nights that add up to elite status in a hotel, time in God’s Word forms us over time. You won’t be in the same place the next time you read Psalm 13; the Spirit will meet you in new ways. Psalm 13 is, in many ways, the perfect Advent companion: it begins with honest ache, it moves through bold prayer, and it resolves into hope rooted in God’s unfailing love. And in Advent that love takes on flesh. The answer to “How long, Lord?” is Jesus—Emmanuel, God with us—who steps into our waiting to bring a light no darkness can overcome.

Key Takeaways

1. Hope begins with honest lament. Hope does not grow in denial; it grows in the soil of truth. Psalm 13 gives us permission to bring unedited grief and confusion into God’s presence. Naming pain before God is a faithful act because it assumes God is listening. We do not have to sanitize our prayers to be heard. [59:56]
2. Turn toward God in the dark. The turning point in Psalm 13 is not a change of circumstance but a change of direction. When we resist the urge to pull away and instead address God directly, trust is rekindled. Turning toward God in pain trains our hearts to seek the Giver more than the gifts. This is how hope finds us before answers do. [62:53]
3. Waiting is preparation, not absence. Biblical waiting is not empty time; it is formative time. God often works quietly and slowly, weaving outcomes we cannot yet see. Learning to wait with God reshapes our desires and deepens our resilience. The night may be long, but it is not wasted. [63:50]
4. Remember God’s character and provision. David anchors his hope in God’s “unfailing love,” not in visible results. Remembered mercies—like baskets of leftovers after the miracle—become evidence for future trust. Rehearsing God’s goodness in prayer breaks the cycle of fear and reorients our imagination toward faith. Gratitude is the doorway through which courage returns. [70:36]
5. You are seen by the Father. Feeling unseen can hollow out the soul, but Scripture insists God’s gaze is upon us. Like a child who finds her family in the crowd, our hearts steady when we know we are noticed. Being seen by God does not erase hardship, but it reframes it with dignity and companionship. Seen-ness is the quiet soil where joy begins to grow. [64:26]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[54:18] - Gratitude for the worship team
[54:49] - Advent series and the theme of hope
[55:28] - Isaiah 9 and holy expectation
[56:20] - Hope in the already and not yet
[57:05] - Everyday examples of waiting
[58:11] - Psalm 13: waiting with honesty
[58:57] - Reading Psalm 13 aloud
[59:56] - Lament as faithful prayer
[62:53] - Turning toward God in pain
[63:50] - Waiting means God is preparing
[64:26] - The ache to be seen by God
[67:40] - Guatemala provision story
[75:35] - Unfailing love becomes flesh
[78:24] - Benediction and sending

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading

- Psalm 13 (ESV) — 1 How long, O LORD? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me? 2 How long must I take counsel in my soul and have sorrow in my heart all the day? How long shall my enemy be exalted over me? 3 Consider and answer me, O LORD my God; light up my eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death, 4 and my enemy say, “I have prevailed over him,” and my foes rejoice because I am shaken. 5 But I have trusted in your steadfast love; my heart shall rejoice in your salvation. 6 I will sing to the LORD, because he has dealt bountifully with me.

Observation Questions

Read verses 1–3. What specific words or images show the psalmist’s emotional state (fear, confusion, grief)? What stands out most to you about his language?
Which verse marks the shift from complaint to petition? Point to the exact phrase that signals David turning toward God.
When the pastor read Psalm 13 aloud and explained lament as a faithful act, which line did he emphasize as permission to bring raw feelings to God? [58:57]
What everyday waiting examples did the pastor use to make Advent waiting feel familiar (things like DMV, doctor’s office, “are we there yet”)? How did those examples help you connect to the psalm? [57:05]

Interpretation Questions

What does the psalmist’s decision to say “Consider and answer me, O LORD my God” reveal about the relationship between lament and trust? In what ways does turning toward God—even without changed circumstances—function as an act of faith? [01:02:53]
The psalm anchors hope in God’s “steadfast/unfailing love” before any visible rescue (v.5). How does remembering past mercies provide a different basis for hope than waiting for immediate results? [01:07:40]
The sermon described waiting as “preparation, not absence.” How might this idea change the group’s reading of the psalm—especially the tension between ongoing sorrow and declared trust? [01:03:50]
The pastor said being seen by God gives dignity and companionship in suffering. How does the psalmist’s cry to be seen (v.3–4) reshape the meaning of hope in Advent? [01:04:26]

Application Questions

Identify one current “How long, Lord?” situation in your life (health, relationships, work, grief, etc.). Write one honest sentence that begins with “How long…” and share it with the group. For the next week, pray that same sentence to God each morning and note any change in your sense of hope. [01:01:01]
What is one concrete practice you will adopt this Advent when you feel stuck or overwhelmed (examples: read Psalm 13 aloud, stop and pray “Look on me and answer me, Lord,” set an alarm to pray a short line)? Try it the next time stress hits and report back next meeting. [01:02:53]
List two specific memories of God’s provision or kindness in your life (your “leftovers” of grace). When fear or doubt arises, rehearse those two memories out loud. Will you commit to saying them at least once a day for seven days and journaling any effect? [01:07:40]
Choose one way your waiting season could be formative (examples: learn a new spiritual practice, serve someone weekly, read a short Scripture every night). What concrete step will you take this week to let waiting prepare you rather than drain you? Set a measurable goal and a check-in date. [01:03:50]
Who around you needs to be seen this week—someone lonely, overlooked, or grieving? Name that person and decide one action (call, visit, send a note, bring a meal) you will do to help them feel seen. Report what you did and what happened. [01:04:26]

Sermon Clips

``So we begin Advent with hope. Not a thin, wishful kind of optimism, but a deep assurance rooted in God's promises. In biblical times before the birth of Jesus, Israel waited for a Messiah who would bring freedom, justice, and restoration. Their hope was born in hardship and held through generations of longing. Advent invites us into that same posture of hope, of holy expectation. Knowing the full story, which we do, we are able to look back and remember that Christ has come, and we also look forward, trusting that Christ will come again. [00:55:02] (64 seconds) #AdventHopeRooted

And in the middle of those two places, right here and right now, we lean into God's presence and promises with hope. Hope that the light will break into the darkness. Hope that God keeps his word. Hope that our waiting is not wasted. Hope that the world's brokenness will not have the final word. Advent hope is a solid ground for weary hearts, reminding us that God is always, already at work, often quietly, often slowly, but always faithfully. [00:56:07] (40 seconds) #HopeInGodsPresence

This season of Advent gives us space to lament and to name what is broken while we wait for the arrival of the hope of the world. And hope does not start with pretending. Hope starts with telling the truth. I mean, David said these words, How long, Lord? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me? How long must I wrestle with my thoughts and day after day have sorrow in my heart? [01:01:41] (33 seconds) #HopeBeginsWithTruth

And what David does here in the midst of the lament of his life, the hurt and pain that he feels is he turns towards God. He turns towards God not away. Advent is like that turn. It's the moment when we face the darkness but choose to look forward with anticipation to the one who breaks into it. We keep praying even when we don't feel heard. We keep reading God's word even when we feel stuck. We keep trusting even when the night is long. [01:03:17] (38 seconds) #TurnTowardGod

David fears that his enemy will triumph that the darkness will win and in the same way Israel feared for centuries as they waited for the Messiah. In that same spirit Advent tells us even when it feels like nothing is happening God is at work. Waiting doesn't mean God is absent. Waiting means God is preparing. What David wants is to be seen. He says look at me look at me I'm over here. He wants to be seen by God. [01:03:55] (38 seconds) #GodAtWorkInWaiting

The psalm does something surprising as David says but I trust in your unfailing love my heart rejoices in your salvation but I trust in your unfailing love my heart rejoices in your salvation he says this before anything has ever changed the lament that he had at the beginning those first how long how long how long how long those have not gone away those are still very much present but he remembers that he trusts in God's unfailing love. [01:05:52] (40 seconds) #TrustInUnfailingLove

There's no proof yet there's not even a visible answer but he has God's character to lean into your unfailing love and that is enough to kindle hope. I think about the feeding of the five thousand and how the disciples must have experienced that you know Jesus asks them what they have and they say well can't you can't you send them off to be fed somewhere else and he says no what do we have available and it's five loaves and two fish. [01:06:32] (33 seconds) #BringWhatYouHave

We have God's character we have God's word we have experiences that we have lived in our lives to look back on to remind us of God's unfailing love for us and this is like Advent hope Israel waited hundreds of years for the promised Messiah there weren't daily signs or angels angel choirs or bright shining stars around every single corner but the memory of God's promises sustained them and hope did not die because biblical hope is not optimism it's not weak hope it's confidence in God's unfailing love even when we cannot see the outcome. [01:09:12] (47 seconds) #BiblicalHope

It is that confidence that we hear in the words of Isaiah 40 but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength they will soar on wings like eagles they will run and not grow weary they will walk and not be faint David here in Psalm 13 has his hope in the Lord he ends the psalm with these words I will sing the Lord's praise for he has been good to me I will sing the Lord's praise for he has been good to me again. [01:09:58] (37 seconds) #RenewedByHope

But Psalm 13 is the perfect Advent Psalm because it begins in darkness Advent begins in the shadows with a distance to travel and Israel waited under oppression silence and longing Psalm 13 is the perfect Advent Psalm because it moves through honest prayer how long oh Lord Advent invites us to boldly pray for peace healing and justice Psalm 13 is the perfect Advent Psalm because it ends with hope rooted in God's character your unfailing love that line from Psalm 13 is the hinge of the psalm your unfailing love in Advent that love of God becomes flesh and enters into the world for God so loved the world that he gave his one and only son and God steps into our waiting not from a distance but from a manger. [01:15:26] (66 seconds) #GodStepsIntoWaiting

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