The Fear of a Forgetful God
Psalms
Introduction
- Personal Stories and Context
- Stories about students, faculty, and personal experiences to illustrate the theme of trust in God amidst trials
Introduction to Psalm 13
- Overview of the Psalms: Psalms of praise and lament
- Importance of Psalms in expressing human struggles and faith in God
- Structure of a Lament Psalm
- Address to God
- Lament proper: Expression of grief and struggles
- Petition: Requests for God’s intervention
- Confession of trust
- Vow of praise
Detailed Examination of Psalm 13
- The Address (Psalm 13:1)
- "How long, O Lord?" – The cry of a hurting heart
- Expression of patience being tested
- The Lament Proper (Psalm 13:1-2)
- Repeated "How long" questions
- Fear of being forgotten by God
- Fear of being rejected and afflicted
- The Petition (Psalm 13:3-4)
- Requests for God to consider, answer, and enlighten
- Reasons for the petition:
- Personal preservation ("lest I sleep the sleep of death")
- Victory over enemies
- God’s reputation and glory
- Confession of Trust (Psalm 13:5)
- Trust in God's loving-kindness (hesed)
- Rejoicing in God's salvation
- Vow of Praise (Psalm 13:6)
- Commitment to sing to the Lord
- Confidence in God’s future deliverance and goodness
Application and Conclusion
- Application of the Psalm
- Encouragement to trust God’s character and timing
- The importance of singing and praising God even before seeing the resolution of problems
- Personal Story and Illustration
- Anecdote about a family singing exercise to illustrate trusting and vocalizing faith
- Closing Prayer
- A prayer asking for strength to move from trouble to triumph and frustration to faith
*The above summary is AI-generated, so discrepancies may exist. Please refer to the audio or video file to verify accuracy.
About the Contributors

Mark L. Bailey
Dr. Bailey assumed the role of DTS Chancellor after serving for 19 years as the Seminary’s fifth President, and continues his role as Sr. Professor in the Bible Exposition department. In addition to his years at Dallas Theological Seminary, he has pastored various churches in Arizona and Texas. He was a seminar instructor for Walk Thru the Bible Ministries for twenty years and is in demand for Bible conferences and other preaching engagements all over the country and world. His overseas ministries have included Venezuela, Argentina, Hungary, and China. He is also a regular tour leader in Israel, Jordan, Egypt, Turkey, Greece, and Rome. His board service includes Bible Study Fellowship, Walk Thru the Bible Ministries, and Word of Life.