Psalm 13: The Image of God In You
In that dark place - maybe uttering the words will silence the voices in your head
Loneliness, depression: Psalm 13 is about battling your own demons. About the bargaining that you do when you are in that pit of mental despair and existential anguish. About the voices in your head telling you that you are worthless, that you are incapable, that you are nothing. Those are the enemies and oppressors the psalm is referring to.
It is written that people are created in the image of God, but when you are in that lonely, dark place, you can’t see that face when you look in the mirror. You don’t feel the essence of God within yourself. You see nothing. You feel nothing. You are obsessed with how others must see you, convinced they are cheering your demise. Convinced you are the center of their attention, that they are wishing for you to fail, hoping for you to die.
You pray for light. You pray for the ability to see yourself as the image of god again. You pray for the day you can be glad again, you pray for the day you will want to sing again. You say the words without believing them possible. You say the words because maybe that will change something. Maybe the uttering of the words are able to will them into being.
Maybe uttering the words will silence the voices in your head.
You pray for kindness. You pray to be seen. You pray for someone to see you for who you are. For what you are. For someone to accept you. And if someone does that act of kindness for you, and sees the image of God in you, the enemies and the oppressors you are battling would simply disappear and be forever vanquished.