What is Sorrow and Suffering?

To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David.

How long, O Lord? Will You forget me forever? How long will You hide Your face from me? How long shall I take counsel in my soul, Having sorrow in my heart daily? How long will my enemy be exalted over me? Consider and hear me, O Lord my God; Enlighten my eyes, Lest I sleep the sleep of death; Lest my enemy say, “I have prevailed against him”; Lest those who trouble me rejoice when I am moved. But I have trusted in Your mercy; My heart shall rejoice in Your salvation. I will sing to the Lord, Because He has dealt bountifully with me.

(Psalm 13, NKJV)

The ability to recognize and feel sorrow is an important part of the human condition.  Apart from sorrow and suffering we would not know the effects of sin, and the world appear a place of no practical or objective discontentment.  In  2014 where everything is at our fingertips, medicine is readily available and food comes fast and hot, we tend to forget about suffering as a people.  North America is a place of great gain, blessings often taken for granted, and death for the most part is seen as the great sorrow of the society, after all you can’t take it with you.

Travel into Africa or another impoverished nation and the cries of David are readily recognized as a reality, and more than that a part of daily life.  If you narrow this down to Christians, the sorrows are multiplied as the  foundations of liberty are eroded and humanity itself is subjected to the futility of the curse.  Under these conditions death is deliverance, and more so for the Christian.

What does this mean for us and how can this Psalm enlighten us?

We will explore this in the next few parts looking at the Psalmist and seeking guidance from other parts of Scripture.