I believe each one of us by this point of the semester will, if not already, hit a wall. On a personal level, this past week was rough. Everything seemed to get dumped on my plate all at once. There are plenty of transitions happening, bucket loads of "drama"... health, sleep, relationships, school, RA life; every aspect of my life I have felt like I have been failing in. On this particular night I was simply desiring some relief from the pain I was in. It had left me overwhelmed and discouraged. I was sitting on my floor, very pathetic like, bawling for no apparent reason, when I just so happened to be reading this. It was such a slap in the face as my heart was questioning just what the Psalmist was. I had been seeking what the Lord would have me bring as the devotion that Tuesday night, and it just so happened that I received all of the above and then some that evening. “Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted in me? hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him for the help of his countenance. O my God my soul is cast down within me: therefore will I remember thee from the land of Jordan, and of the Hermonites, from the hill Mizar.” (Psalm 42.5-6) “Why art thou cast down, I my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me? hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God.” (Psalm 42.11) “Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me? hope in God: for I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God.” (Psalm 43.5)
In this portion of Scripture, the psalmist writes as if two men are speaking to each other. He is posing the question, “why”. “His faith reasons with his fears, his hope argues with his sorrows. These present troubles, are they to last forever?” (Spurgeon) At times we become discouraged and overwhelmed while not having an understanding as to why. He then responds with the proper response. “Hope thou in God.” To hope means to wait, to be patient; to trust. The Psalmist continues on to encourage himself in the Lord. “For in thee, O LORD, do I hope: thou wilt hear, O LORD my God.” (Psalm 38.15) “For I will not trust in my bow, neither shall my sword save me. But thou hast saved us from our enemies, and hast put them to shame that hated us. In God we boast all the day long, and praise thy name for ever. Selah.” (Psalm 44.6.8) It is not in ourselves that we rely on, but our God. Our dependency is in Him. God has never left us wanting. One of the quotes I always go back to is, “God has not brought you this far to abandon you.” He will never just walk away; He fulfills all His promises. “The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD: and he delighteth in his way. Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the LORD upholdeth him with his hand. I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread.” (Psalm 37.23-25) There has never been a time when I can look back and say that I did not have my needs taken care of. He has always been there and never once left my needs unmet. Rather, I could give you story after story of moments where His power shown through as His grace was poured out upon my life. “But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us. We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed;” (2 Corinthians 4.7-9) He will always take care of us. Our caring, loving, patient, all-knowing, all-powerful, ever-present, comforting God is there. Nothing and no one else can help us. Life is full of impossibilities, but for Him. Our peace, our rest, and our hope should and will only come from Him. “If every evil be let loose from Pandora's box, yet is there hope at the bottom. This is the grace that swims, though the waves roar and be troubled. God is unchangeable, and therefore His grace is the ground for unshaken hope. If everything be dark, yet the day will come, and meanwhile hope carries stars in her eyes; her lamps are not dependent on oil from without, her light is fed by secret visitations of God, which sustain the spirit.” (Charles Spurgeon) “For I shall yet praise Him” No matter the circumstances, we can praise Him. “Praise is the portal to the presence of God.” “And he hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God: many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in the Lord.” (Psalm 40.3) “I will sing unto the LORD, because he hath dealt bountifully with me.” ( Psalms 13:6) “I will sing unto the LORD as long as I live: I will sing praise to my God while I have my being.” (Psalms 104:33) “Sing unto him, sing psalms unto him: talk ye of all his wondrous works.” ( Psalms 105:2) “And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them.” (Acts 16:25) Paul and Silas were beat and bound in a prison, if anyone had the human-given “right” to sulk and sink into discouragement it would be them. However, instead they sang. Paul and Silas prayed and sang praises to their God. They joy of the Lord shown through even the darkest night. “He loves to hear our praise on our cheerful days When the pleasant times out weigh the bad, by far But when suffering comes along And we still sing Him song That is when we bless the Father's heart God wants to hear you sing When the waves are crashing round you When the firey darts surround you When despair is all you see God wants to hear your voice When the wisest man has spoken And says you circumstance is as hopeless as can be That's when God wants to hear you sing” I often hear this statement made by one person or another, “You do not have to be thankful for everything; for the trial, but you should always be thankful in it and in every situation.” I understand where they are coming from as they quote 1 Thessalonians 5.18, “In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.” However, I believe it gets taken ever farther as in Ephesians 5.20 it says very plainly, “Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,;” We are to be thankful for everything, even what seems to be “bad” in our eyes. Certainly there are moments when we can “feel” Him closer or stronger than others; there are spiritual highs. Sin can hinder our communication with Him, and our choices can prevent us from enjoying God’s blessings, but does that mean that He is any less present in those moments? Any more or less in control? Any less at work in the bad times than the good? Who are we to place God in a little box and try to figure out His ways? His thoughts and ways are beyond our comprehension. Whether or not we can look back at the end of our lives and see His hand in it is not the determination or whether God is in it or not. His existence and presence are not reliant upon our opinion and situation. Things that do not make sense to us does not mean that He did not have His hand in it. Despite our sins He protects us and provides for His children. He is always there. There is an indescribable peace that is not understandable but by those who have personally experienced it. That is why it is indescribable. One can face death without fear because they know He is there to provide and protect. Through daily physical pain and exhaustion, there is a grace and strength provided that is not our own. When the emotional side of life gets hit, there is a comfort and peace that is beyond ourselves. It is the presence of our God. Where abuse is, there is a special measure of grace that comes with healing, comfort, restoration, and forgiveness. The stressful moments, there is a peace and calm that goes with you. Betrayal, loss, grief, loss, rejection, politics, and everything in between - it is His presence - it is all we need, and it is always there. Even if His ways are opposite of what we would chose, they are still best. Whether “good” or “bad”, “little” or “extreme” in our eyes, the experiences we go through are still in His control, under His protection, and in His care. It is our daily decision to trust Him and allow that faith in Him to influence and effect our attitudes and actions. Everything that we have ever experienced in life is not beyond what He has allowed. Every situation can be used for our good and His glory. It is teaching you things that maybe you may not be able to learn any other way. He sees what we do not. Through that knowledge, we can be thankful for and praise Him in and for the trial. “For I shall yet praise him for the help of His/health of my countenance.” This quote from the Treasuries of David by Spurgeon explains well. “Salvations come from the propitious face of God, and he will yet lift up his countenance upon us. Note well that the main hope and chief desire of David rest in the smile of God. His face is what he seeks and hopes to see, and this will recover his low spirits, this will put to scorn his laughing enemies, this will restore to him all the joys of those holy and happy days around which memory lingers. This is grand cheer. This verse, like the singing of Paul and Silas, looses chains and shakes prison walls. He who can use such heroic language in his gloomy hours will surely conquer. In the garden of hope grow the laurels for future victories, the roses of coming joy, the lilies of approaching peace.” Acts 2.28, “Thou hast made known to me the ways of life; thou shalt make me full of joy with thy countenance.” “My God” The Psalmist recognizes and claims God as his own. Our God - Our awesome, incredible, personal God - We get to experience Him and know Him on a personal, intimate level that most never will and many do not know is possible. “I know of no other religion (Christianity) on earth where... there is a God who even has love for the individual” – A former Hindu. How sad and yet humbling that we are blessed with the knowledge and the opportunity to seek God’s presence as our Father. I believe that the Psalmist lays out the solution to discouragement in a simple, highly applicable form. It is up to us whether we will live and apply it. We do not have to live a single moment in discouragement if we hope in God and praise him with a thankful heart knowing that He is the health of my countenance; the joy of our hearts; and our God.
1 Comment
Kathy Matrai
2/23/2017 01:07:13 pm
Very well said and so true!!
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