When Thanksgiving Hurts: Walking Through Psalm 13 One Verse at a Time

by Christine Trimpe

Jump to Each Day of the Psalm 13 Journey:
👉 Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4 | Day 5 | Day 6

Day 1 of 6 | Psalm 13:1

A Year Marked by Adversity and Unwanted Emotions

✨ Psalm 13:1 — From Tears to Praise (A Thanksgiving Week Reflection)

This year has been… well, one for my personal history book.
Honestly, I wouldn’t believe it myself if I hadn’t written it all down.
And truthfully? I didn’t enjoy writing it down. Three pages! And that’s just 2025…

But it’s reality.
A year full of adversity.
A year full of emotions I didn’t want to feel.

And the grief is weighty this week.

Remembering My Brother and the Thanksgiving Memories We Shared

Thanksgiving used to mean walking into my brother Kevin’s home and seeing him standing over the turkey—the turkey I didn’t even like—ready to slice it with that look of “I’ve got this” on his face. In recent years, he has consistently stepped outside his comfort zone to host a houseful of people. And somehow, we always laughed. We made memories. And if he was stressed… he sure didn’t show it.

(And seriously… who says, “Give me some of that DELICIOUS turkey!!!”? Not me. 😂)

 

Dreading the Holiday and Reaching for God’s Steadying Word

So this year, staring down Thanksgiving week, I dread it.
I need something to hold onto.
A Scripture to steady my soul.
A word to guide me through the tears.

Turning to Psalm 13 for a Journey From Sorrow to Song

And the Lord brought me to Psalm 13—six short verses that start in sorrow and end in song.
That’s precisely where I’m living.

Psalm 13:1 — A Raw Cry of “How Long, O Lord?”

Verse 1: “How long, O Lord? Will You forget me forever? How long will You hide Your face from me?”

If you’ve ever whispered those words, you’re in good company.
David said it.
The saints before us felt it.
And God Himself preserved it in Scripture so you and I would know:

👉 It’s okay to ask.
👉 It’s okay to feel sad.
👉 It’s okay to bring the raw, unfiltered ache into the presence of God.

He’s not intimidated by our sorrow.
He doesn’t shame us for our emotions.
He gave us emotions—on purpose—and He invites us to sort them out with Him, not with false fillers, not with numbing habits, not with sugar or alcohol or scrolling or stuffing it down…

(And listen, my mom actually makes the world’s best stuffing. Truly legendary. But when I changed my habits for my health, I chose to give it up—and that’s okay.)

Choosing Scripture Over False Fillers When Grief Runs Deep

This week, instead of feasting on all the things the world offers to “help” you cope…
I recommend feasting on His Word.

Six Verses That Lead Us From Tears to Trust to Praise

The six verses in Psalm 13 will take you on a journey—from tears to trust to praise.
One small step a day.
One verse a day.
One honest prayer a day.

You Are Not Alone in Your Grief or Your Longing for Hope

If you’re grieving… if you’re weary… if you’re carrying your own year of adversity—
You’re not alone.
God sees.
God hears.
And He never hides His face from the child who keeps looking for Him.

Let’s walk through this psalm together.
Let’s feel what we feel.
And let’s let His Word lead us gently toward hope.

Let me know how you’ll steady your heart this season… will you join me today in Psalm 13?

Day 2 of 6 — Psalm 13:2 Reflection

What Sorrow Really Feels Like — And Why It Matters

“How long must I wrestle with my thoughts and day after day have sorrow in my heart? How long will my enemy triumph over me?” — Psalm 13:2

Today my eyes settled on one word: sorrow.

Sorrow is agony.
Sorrow is grief.
Sorrow is the ache you feel in your chest before your feet even hit the floor.

And yet — in this season of deep sorrow — the greatest comfort to my heart has been turning my eyes to my Savior, the Man of Sorrows, described in Isaiah 53.

He understands my pain.
He carried my grief.
He was acquainted with suffering.
And He willingly went to the cross for me… for you… for the joy set before Him.

Jesus, the Man of Sorrows — Our Comfort in the Pain

Hebrews 12:2 says:

“Fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the JOY set before Him endured the cross, scorning its shame…”

He did it for joy.
Joy is my jam.
Joy keeps my head above the water.
Joy is why sorrow has not swallowed me whole.

His joy, love, grace, and mercy have kept me from returning to the pit of despair — and despair, by definition, is without hope. But I do have hope.

Hope that sorrow will not last forever.
Hope that suffering will not have the final say.
Hope that Jesus meets me in the wrestling. And a knowing that wrestling my thoughts out with Him brings peace.

When Sorrow Collides With the Enemy’s Lies

David asks, “How long will my enemy triumph over me?”
We don’t have enemies chasing us like David did, but we do have an enemy.

Actually, two enemies (at minimum).

Enemy #1 — The Enemy of Our Soul (Satan)

The dark forces whispering sabotage.
The nudges toward old coping mechanisms.
The lies that sound like:
“Snickers really satisfies.”

Full stop, friends:
Snickers will NEVER satisfy.

Enemy #2 — The Enemy Within (Our Own Flesh)

Our humanity.
Our craving for comfort.
Our natural inclination to soothe sorrow with:

• food 
• alcohol
• shopping
• hoarding
• numbing
• hiding
• scrolling

We’re all trying to comfort something.
But real comfort?
Only Jesus can give that.

The Hope That Anchors Us — Revelation 21:4

When sorrow feels suffocating, my heart runs to Revelation 21:4:

“He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain…”

A day with no sorrow.
No grief.
No emotional overwhelm.
No wrestling thoughts.
No enemy whispering lies.

Heaven is the goal.

Those words from my pastor echo in my spirit and anchor me deeply.

What God Has Taught Me Through This Season of Sorrow

Someone recently asked me what the Lord has taught me through these months of deep trials and adversity. And the truth is this:

The Christian life is a life of sorrow and suffering — and joy. And hope. The evidence is clear to me, they can coexist.

Jesus commands us to pick up our cross.
Sanctification is not painless.
Transformation is not tidy.
But it is holy and worth it.

Being well acquainted with the Man of Sorrows keeps my heart and my head above the waters.

Your Turn — What Will You Do With Your Sorrow Today?

When sorrow rises in your chest…
When the thoughts wrestle…
When comfort foods whisper…
Where does your heart turn?

 👉 To a Snickers bar?
 👉 Or to the Savior who endured the cross for the joy set before Him?

One will numb you for a moment.
The Other will sustain you for eternity.

So what will you do with the sorrow in your heart today? Drop me an email (I read them all)!

Day 3 of 6 — Psalm 13:3 Reflection

A Plea for God’s Attention and Restoration

Today’s verse is David’s desperate cry:
“Look on me and answer…”

“Look on me and answer, O Lord my God.
Give light to my eyes, or I will sleep in death.” — Psalm 13:3

He wants God’s attention.
He wants God’s response.
He wants God’s restoration.

And I feel that cry deep in my own soul this season. How about you?

When David says, “Give light to my eyes,” he’s asking for renewed strength. In Old Testament language, when a person’s eyes dimmed, it meant:

• Their strength was failing,
  
• Their grief was overwhelming,
  
• Their affliction was heavy,
• Their longing was unfulfilled.

This is a prayer of exhaustion.
A prayer of depletion.
A prayer from someone whose hope feels delayed — a hope deferred, just like Proverbs 13:12 describes:

“Hope deferred makes the heart sick,
but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life.”

Psalm 13:3 absolutely carries that sense of deep longing.

When Sorrow Weakens the Eyes

As I explored this verse, several other Psalms written by David came to mind:

Psalm 6:7
“My eyes grow weak with sorrow; they fail because of all my foes.”

Psalm 69:3
“I am worn out calling for help; my throat is parched.
My eyes fail, looking for my God.”

David knew sorrow.
David knew exhaustion.
David knew what it meant to feel as if his very eyesight — his perspective, his strength, his hope — were slipping away.

And honestly? So do I.

When We Cry Out for Restoration

This verse hits home for me in such a personal way.
I, too, am crying out for restoration.

My hormones, nerves, and sleep are still recovering from years of chronic stress.
Grief has shaken me.
Sudden loss has pierced me.
Sleepless nights have worn me thin.

And let’s be honest:
When sleep suffers, everything suffers.
Your health.
Your mental clarity.
Your weight.
Your resilience.
Your ability to cope.

It is nearly impossible to lose weight — or even maintain good health — when sleep is shattered.

So every morning, in one of my journal spaces, I write:

“God, I need help.”

Today was no exception.

“Look on me and answer, O Lord my God.”
God, can’t You see I need help?

And I wonder…
Is this the cry of your heart in this season, too?

When Death No Longer Terrifies Us

David ends the verse with, “Or I will sleep in death.”
And you know what?

That phrase doesn’t frighten me the way it once did.

In Chapter 21 of my book Seeking Joy Through the Gospel of Luke, I wrote about the fear of death — especially the fear I felt as a teenager. I wanted to live long enough to:

• graduate
• get married
• raise a family
• have the “expected” life

Back then, in my casual Christianity, I feared death because I didn’t understand eternity.

But now?
Now I have the assurance of salvation.
Now I know the joy of belonging to Christ.
Now I know what awaits me.

So when I read, “or I will sleep in death,” I don’t panic.
I trust.

Because I know that in His perfect timing, God will look on me.
He will answer me.
He will give light to my eyes.
He will restore me — here or in heaven.

And sometimes my mind wanders to that truth:
If restoration doesn’t come fully in this life, it will come gloriously in the next.

Fix your eyes on heaven, friend.
That’s where all things are made new.

Your Lament Is Welcome Here

David’s words throughout the Psalms remind us that lament is not faithlessness — it is faith expressed honestly.

It’s okay to say:
“God, can You see me?”
“God, I need help.”
“God, my strength is failing.”
“God, my eyes are dimming.”

Our God is not offended by our prayers of desperation.
He meets us in them.

What Will God Restore in You?

My friend, David’s cry is often my cry:

“Look on me and answer, O Lord my God.”

And He does.
In His timing, His wisdom, His kindness.

He will give light to your eyes.
He will restore your strength.
He will fulfill the longings He has planted within you.

It may not come today.
It may not come in the way you expect.
But restoration is coming.

Because He is good.
And He sees you.
And He does not abandon His children.

Tomorrow’s Verse Is Heavy… but Hope Is Coming

Psalm 13 doesn’t lighten right away — tomorrow’s verse carries more weight.

But don’t despair.
Despair is without hope.
And we have hope.

Let’s keep walking together through this Psalm and trust the God who meets us in our sorrow.

So what will you do with the longing in your heart today? Drop me an email (I read them all)!

Day 4 of 6 — Psalm 13:4 Reflection

When We Fear Being Overtaken

“My enemy will say, ‘I have overcome him,’
and my foes will rejoice when I fall.” — Psalm 13:4

Our word of the day: shaken.
Because this verse?
It’s David at his most vulnerable — and honestly, it’s me too.

Several translations of Psalm 13:4 use words like:

• fall
• moved
• shaken

So I went digging, and the Hebrew root word is mot — M-O-T — meaning:

“to totter, slip, shake, lose security.”

And oh, do I know what that feels like.

David is essentially saying:

“Lord, if You don’t act… the enemy wins.
If You don’t move… I fall.
If You don’t sustain me… I will be shaken.”

And friend, I’ve been there. How about you?
I’ve had those same thoughts.
That same fear of being overtaken by the enemy — especially this year.

When Our Attitude Needs a Heart Check

Here’s the thing: if we stop the Psalm right here, it sounds like pity.

Woe is me.
I’m defeated.
I’m overwhelmed.
I’m undone.

Not just David… but me too.

But the Holy Spirit nudged my heart today:
Christine, this is where attitude must shift.
This is where lament becomes worship.

And that brings me to one of my favorite worship lyrics I’ve sung countless times while leading the congregation to give God the glory:

“Nothing will ever break me, ever slay me,
All my hope in You.
Nothing will overtake me, ever shake me,
All my hope in You.”
(Set My Heart – Vertical Worship)

And wouldn’t you know it?
It never fails that I fall on the worship leader schedule to lead that song during my most difficult seasons of grief and sorrow.

Not a coincidence.
A God wink.
God’s gentle reminder:
“I see you. I know you’re shaken. But I am your firmness.”

When Worship Meets Weakness

This morning, I sang the song with tears welling in my eyes.

Tears from grief.
Tears from exhaustion.
Tears from spiritual battle.
Tears from food noise and temptation rearing their ugly head this year.

But by Sunday — somehow, some way — I will be able to sing that song truthfully.

Because God always gives the strength to sing what I could only whisper earlier in the week.

He meets my shaking with His steadiness.

When Food Noise Tries to Overtake Us

Speaking of “overtaking”…
Let me tell you — 2025 has been a year where the enemy has tried to take me out through food idolatry and gluttony . . . again!

I have lived in food serenity for nearly seven years.
But grief and stress have shaken that serenity.
Food noise got loud again.

From my past, I can testify:
I have pulled into far too many drive-thru lanes for one thing and one thing only…
Hot. French. Fries.

They were my comfort.
My secret “I deserve this” indulgence.
My old coping mechanism.

And this year?
Oh, the urge returned with a vengeance.

But praise God —
not once in 2025 have I given in to the fries.

That’s the enemy trying to overtake me.
Trying to shake me loose from freedom.
Trying to resurrect old, sinful food behaviors.

But God.

Not to say I’ve been perfect.
There have been evenings with mindless munching.
Nuts. Cheese crisps. Evening eating — old habits creeping back in.

But the foundation Jesus laid in me remains.
The Spirit convicts.
The Word anchors.
And each day is a fresh opportunity for surrender.

What Is God Stirring in You?

David’s fear? Being overcome.
I’ve battled fiercely this year to overcome being overtaken by old patterns.

What about you?

• What sinful behavior is God stirring in your heart today?
• What area feels “shaken”?
• What is trying to overtake you?

The enemy whispers.
The flesh pulls.
But God restores.

Hang On… Because Hope Is Coming

If we stopped Psalm 13 right here, this would be a bleak devotional.

But tomorrow?
Everything changes.

David’s whole tone shifts.
He moves from lament to trust.
From shaken to steadied.
From fear to hope.
From sorrow to song. . .

So hold on.
Your hope is coming too.

So what will you do with the shaking in your heart today? Drop me an email (I read them all)!

Day 5 of 6 — Psalm 13:5 Reflection

Trusting God’s Unfailing Love

“But I trust in Your unfailing love;
my heart rejoices in Your salvation.” — Psalm 13:5

Today, everything shifts.
After days of wrestling, questioning, longing, and feeling shaken…
David finally reaches his breakthrough.

And friend, this is the turning point for us too:

HOPE.

Moving From Lament to Trust

David begins this psalm asking, “How long, O Lord?”
He wonders if God has forgotten him.
He fears being overtaken, shaken, moved.

But here — in verse 5 — he pivots.

“But I trust…”

Three of the most powerful words in Scripture.
Three words that take us from tears to trust, from sorrow to steadiness, from grief to groundedness.

What Is God’s “Unfailing Love”?

One thing anchors David’s trust:

God’s unfailing love.

This phrase in Hebrew is the word hesed, filled with meaning:

• unfailing love
• covenant loyalty
• mercy
• faithfulness
• goodness
• gracious action
• and — fascinatingly — joint obligation

God’s unfailing love is not passive.
It is loyal, active, committed, covenantal.
It is love that does not leave you in sorrow, shaking, or silence.

And that “joint obligation” stirred something profound in me — because while God loves us faithfully, we must show up faithfully too.

When the Heart Rejoices Again

David continues:

“My heart rejoices in Your salvation.”

Rejoices doesn’t mean a quiet nod.
It means to shout with exultation.

It’s a heart waking up again.
A heart remembering who God is.
A heart lifting its eyes after days of heaviness.

When is the last time you affirmed God’s goodness out loud?

From Trust → Affirmation → Testimony

Here in one verse, David models the journey:

Trust → Affirmation → Testimony

This whole Psalm 13 series has been my own testimony —
my own affirmation of God’s unfailing love in a year filled with grief, sorrow, stress, and unexpected suffering.

Ten years ago, if you told me I’d be testifying publicly, writing daily, and pointing women to Christ…
I would have scoffed.

But God.

He anchored me in His Word.
He strengthened me through His Spirit.
He taught me to trust and rejoice in His salvation.

We Cannot Go Around the Storm — We Must Go Through It

In SugarFreed®, I wrote about the necessity of heart change.

Nothing changes in our life until something changes in our heart.

And heart change rarely comes through comfort.
It comes through going through the storm with God.

We can’t go over the storm.
We can’t go under it.
We can’t go around it.

We must go through it.
Through grief.
Through disappointment.
Through sorrow.
Through stress.
Through healing.

And we must go through it with our eyes fixed on the One who sustains us.

Don’t Numb the Pain — Nourish Your Heart

This is also where the health and wellness battle becomes very real.

Storms shake us — emotionally, spiritually, physically.
And when shaken, the temptation to self-comfort with old coping mechanisms can roar back to life.

Many women turn to:

• food
• sugar
• snacking
• late-night comfort eating
• emotional eating
• numbing behaviors

But comforting with food only creates MORE suffering:

• more inflammation
• more cravings
• more exhaustion
• more shame
• more distance from the Lord’s presence

I ask my coaching clients this all the time:

👉 Are we going to numb… or are we going to nourish?

And the FIRST way to nourish yourself —
before protein, before habits, before new choices —
is to pick up His Word when you are overwhelmed.

When sorrow rises…
when grief tightens…
when food noise screams…
when temptation whispers…

Nourish your soul first.
In the Word.
With truth.
With the God who promises unfailing love.

(See an invitation below to join me in His Word through December in the Gospel of Luke to countdown to Christmas.)

Where Have You Seen God’s Unfailing Love This Year?

Yesterday, I was talking with a trusted advisor who understands grief deeply.

She asked, “How will you memorialize your brother this holiday?”

I hadn’t thought of it that way.

But I realized:
My writing is a memorial. Kevin’s life matters immensely to my family and me.
My reflections are a way of honoring him.
This Psalm 13 journey holds his memory and his meaning.

And through it all — even in the ache — I can say:

The Lord has been unfailing in His love toward me.

How Will You Affirm His Unfailing Love This Week?

As we head into Thanksgiving — a painful one for many — I want to ask:

How will you affirm your trust in God’s unfailing love this week?

Where has He carried you?
Where is He sustaining you?
Where is He giving you the strength to walk through the storm?

Pause and name one way today.
Write it.
Say it.
Testify to it.

Because this — this verse — is our breakthrough.

Tomorrow, we finish the psalm.
And we finish with a song.

Stay close, friend.
Hope is here.

So what will you do with the HOPE in your heart today? Drop me an email (I read them all)!

Day 6 of 6 — Psalm 13:6 Reflection

A Vow to Sing Again

“I will sing the Lord’s praise,
for He has been good to me.” — Psalm 13:6

Today, we finish the psalm.

And how fitting that we land here—
on song.

David has moved from:

sorrow → longing → shaken → hope → trust → praise.

And now, he makes a vow:

“I will sing the Lord’s praise…”

Not I might.
Not if I feel like it.
Not when life gets easier.

David vows to praise—
because despite the hardship,
despite the fear,
despite the sorrow,
despite the enemies closing in…

God has been good.

When You Face the Day With an Empty Seat

I have to be honest.

As I sat down with this verse this morning,
it didn’t feel like a “song” kind of day.

It’s Thanksgiving.
And it’s our first one with an empty seat at the table.

My first thought waking up was:
I don’t want to do today without my brother.

Everyone will put on a brave face.
We’ll support one another.
We’ll get through the day together.
But the ache is real.

Real life is the journey to death.
And somehow, from birth, we all carry the will to keep showing up—
even though in a moment, we could be gone.

So what keeps us facing the day?

I don’t have every answer,
but this verse gives me a clue:

Song.

God gave us music because music stirs the soul.
Thank You, Lord, for music.

From Heavy Thoughts to Unexpected Joy

My thoughts this morning started heavy.
But I stepped outside to breathe in the early morning light—
and the Lord met me with something unexpected:

Planes in the sky.

Advertising planes, of all things.
Yet somehow, they sparked joy.

And then I remembered all the life happening in Detroit today (I live in the suburbs):

• the Turkey Trot (my daughter just ran her best time!)
• the Thanksgiving Day parade
• the annual Detroit Lions game

Simple, joyful traditions.
Little things that lift the heart.

And then—another gift.

I came inside to a text from Dr. Andreas Eenfeldt, the visionary behind DietDoctor.com (click the link to read my story there), who has featured my story so many times. He reached out again this morning.

And that small message brought me so much joy.

God knows when we need a little pep in our step.
He knows when our hearts need a nudge toward praise.
His timing is always perfect.

How to Move From Sorrow to Song

Psalm 13 ends with a vow to praise.

And I want to invite you into that vow today.

Look around.
Notice the little things.
The unexpected joys.
The tiny reminders of God’s goodness.

This morning, a song came to mind; one my church has been singing—
a song I’ve had the privilege to lead:

“Rejoice” by Keith and Kristyn Getty (watch on YouTube)

The chorus says:

“With each breath we’re given, praise the Lord.
In these times we live in, praise the Lord.
Throughout every season, I am sure,
we have every reason to praise the Lord.”

Because we do.
Even today.
Even with an empty seat.
Even in sorrow and gratitude mingled together.

A New Tradition, A New Song

As I head into the kitchen to prepare what I’m bringing,
and as we gather at my other brother’s home—
a new tradition, perhaps, beginning right here—
I’m keeping one truth close:

We have every reason to praise the Lord.
In every season.
In every sorrow.
In every joy.

And when I look at this photo of Kevin—
standing over the turkey,
scooping out the stuffing he always made with so much care,
giving his classic thumbs up—
I can almost hear the music he loved
(he had a fantastic collection of vinyl albums––thousands!),
and I’m reminded of something:

Keep singing.
Keep praising.
Keep choosing joy, even in the ache.

So today, with his memory close and the Lord’s goodness nearer still,
I vow to sing the Lord’s praise.
For He has been good to me.

Your Turn—What Song Is on Your Heart Today?

Before you head into your own Thanksgiving rhythm,
I’d love for you to share:

What song is on your heart today?
What helps lift you from sorrow to song?

Hit reply to my email and send me the title.
I’d love to listen along with you.

And if you missed it earlier,
don’t forget to check out my Thanksgiving legacy blog post—
where I unpack what Paul meant by “give thanks,”
a phrase woven with joy. Joy is my jam! I hope it is your jam, too.

Have a beautiful, blessed Thanksgiving, my friend.
From my heart to yours—

We have every reason to praise the Lord.

This Psalm 13 series is in loving memory of my brother, Kevin James Halloran (June 30, 1975––April 19, 2025)—the one whose empty seat reminds me to keep moving from sorrow to song.

Practicing Joy as a Discipline in the Midst of Real Life

Your Joy-Is-a-Discipline Invitation

And as we move toward December, I’m reminded of something the Lord keeps teaching me: joy isn’t something we wait to feel… it’s something we practice.
It’s a discipline.
A daily choice.
A lifting of our eyes when our hearts feel heavy.

That’s why each December I return to the Gospel of Luke, one chapter a day—a 24-day journey of seeking joy as we countdown to Christmas, right in the midst of real life, real grief, real circumstances. Not because it’s a tradition… but because it’s how I breathe. It’s how I stay anchored.

If you’d like a simple guide to help you walk that path with me, I’ll be using my devotional Seeking Joy Through the Gospel of Luke: A Christmas to Calvary Advent Countdown again this year.

It was born out of my own seasons of sorrow and suffering, and it would bless me to place it in your hands if you need a companion for a weary heart.

No pressure—just an invitation to practice joy on purpose this December.
With me.
With Scripture.
With Jesus leading us from darkness to light, from lament to praise.

About the Seeking Joy Through the Gospel of Luke (A Christmas Countdown Devotional)

Join Author Christine Trimpe in her annual joy-seeking journey to countdown to Christmas through the Gospel of Luke. Check out this blog post for more details: Countdown to Christmas: A Daily Gospel of Luke Reading Plan

Learn more about the award-winning Seeking Joy through the Gospel of Luke: A Christmas to Calvary Advent Countdown HERE.