Psalm 13:1, 5, 6  “How long, O LORD?  Will you forget me forever?  How long will you hide your face from me? ….  But I have 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.”

I have fibromyalgia syndrome, often shortened to just “fibro”.  One of the aspects of that condition is a brain issue known as “fibrofog” that functions something like early stage Alzheimers.  We can forget things very easily, or get easily confused.  I read one woman’s account that she could get “lost” in her one bedroom apartment!  Mine was never that bad, and since I found treatment about five years ago, has been much better than it used to be, but I still have occasional issues.  For example, if you look at my big planning calendar, you can find days with the same event entered twice.  The exact same wording neatly written one under the other.  Good grief.

In the early years of the condition, one of my biggest problems was simply forgetting things.  It wasn’t enough to write it on the calendar (even twice).  I had to write it on the calendar, on the white board, on several sticky notes, AND I’d tell my kids to remind me as well.  Even then things sometimes still “snuck up” on me!  Worst, though, were the many, many times that I told my kids I’d do something for them… and then forgot.  “Mom, did you get my jeans mended?  You said you’d get them done before I needed them for the party!”  “Mom, did you get more milk?  You said you’d get more when you were at Freddy’s.”  “Mom, you said you’d come read me a book after you finished that email.  It’s been three HOURS!”  They knew it wasn’t exactly my “fault”, but still, it was so painful for me to see that frustration in their eyes when I had let them down, again.

God had promised to be with His people, but sometimes it didn’t feel like He was there.  David starts this Psalm with a cry of frustration, feeling forgotten.  It didn’t LOOK like God was fulfilling His end of the bargain at the moment.  Yet David ends the Psalm on a different note.  BUT.  It doesn’t look like You’re doing what You said You would, but you know, I know You HAVEN’T forgotten me!  In fact, He’s been awfully good to me!

By the time Gabriel showed up at Mary’s place, it had been some 400 years since there had been a prophetic voice in Israel.  Talk about a long time to wait!  That’s a lot of generations to feel forgotten.  “How long, O LORD?” must have been a pretty popular theme song.  Some singing it were probably angry.  Some, though, must have been like David.  I think Mary must have been in that category because when she got the good word of what was going to happen, once she got over the shock of the fact that SHE was to be the instrument, what was her response?  Her Magnificat when she visited Elizabeth echoes David’s sentiment in this Psalm as she rejoices in God her Savior and praises Him for His goodness to her and to all who fear Him, affirming “He has helped His servant Israel, in remembrance of His mercy, as He spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to his offspring forever.” 

Mary recognized in the Messiah’s arrival the fulfillment of God’s promises.  God never forgets.  However long in the fulfillment, what He said WILL be accomplished.  Since we, too, are offspring of Abraham, those promises are to US as well!