The Beatles, an English rock band in the 1960s, became perhaps the best-selling musical group of all time. Between 1963 and 1966, “Beatle-mania,” as dubbed by the worldwide press, brought significant attention to their 1965 song entitled “Help!” Some musical historians look at this song as a subtle lament and cry, an emblem of rebellion to the burgeoning youth culture at the time. Perhaps it was The Beatles’ way of crying out and asking, “How long will Beatle-mania last?” and “Where is this movement taking us? Are we heading to a place we don't want to go?” Little did they know that by the 1970s, their band would break up.
Psalm 13 is known as the shortest and simplest of the prayers for help. It is often cited by commentators as a pure textbook example of a lament or complaint. It is a song crying out, “Help! How long will this season of silence, grief, weariness, wandering, sickness, separation, loneliness, unsettledness, and pain last?” Psalm 13 cries out, “Help me! Where are you? Do you hear me?” The Psalter invites us to sing and embrace “complaint and praise” as simultaneous rather than as individual moments of reflection. The Psalm opens with, “How long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever?” Perhaps the contour, cadence, and rhythm of first three stanzas resemble a musical form called the “Blues.” The lyrical lines of a Blues’ song can place us in a space where the singer sings about being down-and-out while at the same time remains hopeful for relief and deliverance.
God calls us to be present with Him in times of affliction because He will surely deliver us. As people of faith, because of our relationship with Jesus Christ, we know God is with us in our longing. Therefore it is necessary to pray, “How long, O Lord?” and “Lord, you are truly good,” at the same time. We can lament and rejoice at the same time, knowing that the day of our deliverance is nigh. God wants us to call upon Him because He is ever so near to us.
How long will “How long?” last? We might not know. God is with us. God is always taking us to a place where we can grow. God will never break up with us. God calls us to “Be hopeful within the craziness and/or mania of our lives,” as we enter, embrace, and experience His mighty hand of deliverance. Verses 5-6 state, “But, I trusted in your steadfast love; my heart shall rejoice in your salvation. I will sing to the Lord because he has dealt bountifully with me.”
Remember, you can sing about your need and longing for “Help” with a beautiful juxtaposition that brings you to a steadfastness and trust in God.