Pain and prayer and praise

Psalm 13 begins low and ugly, but rises to beauty. The pain of the opening verses gives way to the prayer of the second short section, concluding with the praise of the last few lines, from which vantage point we can look back and see several things. First, the direction of praise, which is toward the Lord to whom he has looked and to whom he has cried. The expression of praise is strong and substantial and sweet, as the psalmist sings of God's salvation. That leads us to the foundation of praise, the bountiful dealings of a gracious God.