A Road Map for Life | Remembering Our Redeemer Sample

TWO THINGS YOU CAN DO WHEN YOU ARE HURTING

The first 41 psalms are called the “Genesis Psalms” and they remind us that every good thing begins with God. Psalm 42 begins the second book of Psalms, known as the “Exodus Psalms,” and they remind us to remember our Redeemer.

You will recall that the book of Exodus is about God bringing His people out of Egypt, redeeming them, and showing His power to them. In these psalms, God reminded His chosen people of all that He had done for them. In all those years, He never failed them.

Now we begin studying our psalm for today: Psalm 42.

Verse 1: “As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God.”

Are you thirsty for God today? The picture here is of a deer or a mountain goat that is tired and panting for a drink. If you have ever been truly thirsty, you know what a desperate condition that is. It can leave a person in dire straits. But there is a spiritual thirst as well. I am thinking of the words of Jesus in Matthew 5:6, “Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.”

David was a man who was thirsty for God. He longed for the Lord and wanted to see what He alone could do. I am afraid that too many believers today are more thirsty for the things of this world than they are for the eternal. Jesus told Peter in Matthew 16:23, “Thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men.” He was saying, “You are satisfied and appeased more by the temporary things you want than by what I want.”

Ask yourself again, "Am I thirsty for the things of God?"

The psalmist answered that question for himself in verses 2-3.

“My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God: when shall I come and appear before God? My tears have been my meat day and night, while they continually say unto me, Where is thy God?”

We do not know for certain who wrote Psalm 42. Many people believe that David wrote it. What is certain is that whoever wrote it, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, did so in a time of great distress. The context and tone indicate that the writer could not get to the temple or the holy place for worship. He was separated from God’s people and the things he so longed for.

Think about those today who, for whatever reason, cannot worship with God’s people. Often we do not appreciate something we have until it is gone. Here the psalmist was saying, “I miss those moments. I long for those times in God’s presence.”

Notice that his tears spoke to him and even mocked him, saying in verse 3, “Where is thy God?” We must be careful about listening to ourselves. The Bible says in Jeremiah 17:9, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?”

Maybe your emotions are causing you to doubt God or your future. You have to bring your emotions and your burden into the presence of an almighty God.

Verse 4: “When I remember these things, I pour out my soul in me: for I had gone with the multitude, I went with them to the house of God, with the voice of joy and praise, with a multitude that kept holyday.” He was thinking of the past and happier days.

Verse 5: “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.”

I love how he moved from the past to the future. So many people want to get stuck in the past and talk only about the good days gone by. I am thankful for those days, but I am also looking forward to the good days that are ahead of us.

But the emotion surged again at the start of verse 6: “O my God, my soul is cast down within me.”

It happened again in verse 11: “Why art thou cast down, O 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.”

Sometimes these feelings of despair come like waves - you are overcome. Then you get a little bit of relief, and suddenly another wave comes. What do you do in these moments when you are thirsty for God but it seems you are living in a barren land?

Do the two things the psalmist did here.

1. Talk to yourself.

Notice how in these verses he repeatedly answered his own question. I have an easier time preaching to others, but sometimes we have to preach to ourselves. I did say a few moments ago that we must be careful about listening to ourselves, but at times we need to speak the truth to ourselves.

If David did indeed write Psalm 42, it is a classic example of how he encouraged himself in the Lord his God, as he did at Ziklag in I Samuel 30.

Don’t wait for someone else to encourage you. If you do that, you will stay discouraged. But if you speak truth to yourself with reminders of the goodness of God and remember your Redeemer, you have something truly wonderful.

If you read the inscription of Psalm 42, you will notice that it was given “to the sons of Korah.” You may remember that Korah and his family were the ones who stood against Moses and were swallowed up by the ground. But several generations later, his descendants were leading in worship among the people. That in itself is an example of the mercy and grace of God. That inscription is a message to those people that, though they might be having a bad day, it is nothing compared to where they could be.

2. Talk to God.

Isn’t that what all Psalms are supposed to do? As Ephesians 5:19 says, “Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord.” Once he spoke truth to himself, he laid out his petition to God with a promise to hope in Him.

Verse 3 opened with “my tears.” The psalm ends in verse 11 with “my God.” The only way to move from your tears is to move toward God. That means getting your eyes off yourself and focusing on Christ (Hebrews 12:1-2).

There is a real danger in becoming what has been called “morbidly introspective.” Don’t do that. Talk to yourself and God.

When you do those two things, God will speak to you as He did to the psalmist. God will give you something you can pass along to others.

As we begin the Exodus Psalms, let me challenge you to remember your Redeemer — what He has done, what He is doing today, and what He has yet to do in your life!