Desperate For God?

Psalm 42

overwhelmed with sorrow:

Verses 1 - 2: As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God?

What do you picture? A nice deer skipping up to a clear bubbling flowing spring and gently lapping up the refreshing water? Me I see a dehydrated creature, emancipated dragging itself across a desert desperately in search of a muddy wetness desperate for water, clinging to life and nothing seeming to quench the thirst, nothing. For me this speaks of a yearning beyond reason, beyond logic and soul centred must, beyond existence of self, a need for something that without life is nothing. “My soul pants for you, O God” these words just leap out and grab my heart, for me if I cannot know God then I would not want to live, I mean it, God is the All in All. This is not just a desperate plea, here is relationship thirsting for God knowing and acknowledging that God is alive, is real is here, but were is God. The deer staggers and collapses it can find no water, when can I go and meet with God? Do you have times when God seems distant, when prayers are unanswered, when worship is far from your heart? A desert place with no streams of water. Jesus did: Mark 14: 32 – 34 “They went to a place called Gethsemane, and Jesus said to his disciples, "Sit here while I pray." He took Peter, James and John along with him, and he began to be deeply distressed and troubled. "My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death," he said to them. "Stay here and keep watch."

This is the experience of the person who feels shut off, cut off from God; who believes in God yet cannot find Him; who longs for the nearness of God but feels abandoned... hence the perplexed question, born of despair “When can I go and meet with God?”

"Where is your God?":

Verse 3: My tears have been my food day and night, while men say to me all day long, “Where is your God?”

Did anyone promise that if you became a Christian you would never be unhappy, be constantly filled with joy, its not true, you will know pain, hurt and the mockers will line up and say “Where is your God?” when you stumble. The deep pain and hurt is pouring out tears that flood out day and night, no human comfort, no help in this time of trouble a sense of drowning, drowning, what hope. Jesus tells us in John 6: 35-38 (message) Jesus said, "I am the Bread of Life. The person who aligns with me hungers no more and thirsts no more, ever. I have told you this explicitly because even though you have seen me in action, you don’t really believe me. Every person the Father gives me eventually comes running to me. And once that person is with me, I hold on and don’t let go. I came down from heaven not to follow my own whim but to accomplish the will of the One who sent me. Jesus understands sorrow, hurt and rejection he will walk through the crowd of mockers and stone throwers and draw along side and reach out into the darkness to the cowering figure heaped in a darken corner, “Come follow me, he will say and set the captive free”, he did for me he will for you

Jesus understood what this feels like Matthew 27: 41 – 43 In the same way the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the elders mocked him. "He saved others," they said, "but he can’t save himself! He’s the King of Israel! Let him come down now from the cross, and we will believe in him. He trusts in God. Let God rescue him now if he wants him, for he said, ’I am the Son of God.’ "

Our God lives with us, never leaves us and as the darkness falls is closer than any other, reach out and see

God the sustain and true lover of our soul:

Verse 4: These things I remember as I pour out my soul: how I used to go with the multitude, leading the procession to the house of God, with shouts of joy and thanksgiving among the festive throng

The experience of Worshiping God, living to bring glory to God and God alone is burnt deep into the heart. When you have experienced true worship, in spirit and truth nothing compares, true moments of your spirit being touched by the presence of almighty God our creator. True moments as well of fellowship the times when all songs are in harmony when the singing and the feelings resonate deep in our souls, true soul food. Worship is an anchor, when the dark flood comes, when the desert stretches on and on, yet praise him yet turn to God the sustain and true lover of our soul. Its like remembering that the sun will shine again while in the deepest and darkest night, no darkness can extinguish true worship, one on one worship heart and soul open to God praising and thanking the creator. True worship a gift from the Holy Spirit as Jesus said in John 4: 23 – 24 “Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth."