Hope Thou In God
Scripture Reading: Psalm 42 [Living Bible]
As the deer pants for water, so I long for you, O God. [2] I thirst for God, the living God. Where can I find him to come and stand before him? [3] Day and night I weep for his help, and all the while my enemies taunt me. "Where is this God of yours?" they scoff. [4] Take courage, my soul! Do you remember those times (but how could you ever forget them!) when you led a great procession to the Temple on festival days, singing with joy, praising the Lord? [5] Why then be downcast? Why be discouraged and sad? Hope in God! I shall yet praise him again. Yes, I shall again praise him for his help. [6] Yet I am standing here depressed and gloomy, but I will meditate upon your kindness to this lovely land where the Jordan River flows and where Mount Hermon and Mount Mizar stand. [7] All your waves and billows have gone over me, and floods of sorrow pour upon me like a thundering cataract. [8] Yet day by day the Lord also pours out his steadfast love upon me, and through the night I sing his songs and pray to God who gives me life. [9] "O God my Rock," I cry, "why have you forsaken me? Why must I suffer these attacks from my enemies?" [10] Their taunts pierce me like a fatal wound; again and again they
scoff, "Where is that God of yours?" [11] But, O my soul, don’t be discouraged. Don’t be upset. Expect God to act! For I know that I shall again have plenty of reason to praise him for all that he will do. He is my help! He is my God!
Scripture Text: Psalm 42: 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.
Introduction:
Sometimes, as a result of heavy and burdensome trials, a feeling of helplessness, hopelessness, and despair may set in upon the child of God. This is not uncommon and should not be viewed as such.
1 Cor. 10:13 There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.
1 Peter 4:12 Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you:
1 Peter 4:12 [Living] Dear friends, don’t be bewildered or surprised when you go through the fiery trials ahead, for this is no strange, unusual thing that is going to happen to you.
1 Peter 1:7 That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:
I. Scripture has many examples of those who experienced such things.
A. Moses - Numbers 11:15 And if thou deal thus with me, kill me, I pray thee, out of hand, if I have found favour in thy sight; and let me not see my wretchedness.
B. Elijah - 1 Kings 19:4 But he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a juniper tree: and he requested for himself that he might die; and said, It is enough; now, O Lord, take away my life; for I am not better than my fathers.
C. David - Psalm 42:6 O my God, my soul is cast down within me:
D. Job - Job 10:1 My soul is weary of my life; I will leave my complaint upon myself; I will speak in the bitterness of my soul.
E. Jonah - Jonah 4:8 ....Jonah,... fainted, and wished in himself to die, and said, It is better for me to die than to live.
F. Paul - 2 Cor. 1:8 For we would not, brethren, have you ignorant of our trouble which came to us in Asia, that we were pressed out of measure, above strength, insomuch that we despaired even of life:
II. But don’t despair! There is HOPE in God!!
Psalm 42:5 Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted in me? hope thou in God:
Psalm 31:24 Be of good courage, and he shall strengthen your heart, all ye that hope in the Lord.
Psalm 33:18-22 Behold, the eye of the Lord is upon them that fear him, upon them that hope in his mercy; [19] To deliver their soul from death,....[22]...according as we hope in thee.
Psalm 147:11 The Lord taketh pleasure....in those that hope in his mercy.
1 Tim. 1:1 ...Jesus Christ,.... is our hope;
Romans 5:2 ....rejoice in hope of the glory of God.
Romans 5:5 And hope maketh not ashamed; (NJB = “will not let us down”).
III. What is hope?
A. Webster = The desire of something good with the expectation of receiving it.
B. Zond. Dict. = “Hope is something good that we must wait for.”
C. Literally = “Hope thou in God” means “Expect good things from God.”
IV. The Word of God encourages us to have HOPE in Jesus Christ!
Jeremiah 29:11 [GW] I know the plans that I have for you, declares the Lord. They are plans for peace and not disaster, plans to give you a future filled with hope.
V. What kind of HOPE do we have in Christ?
A. A Purifying Hope.
1 John 3:2-3 Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. [3] And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.
1. Hope in Christ is an incentive to live a Godly and pure life before Him.
Matthew 5:8 Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.
Job 19:26 And though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God:
B. A Blessed Hope.
Titus 2:13 Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;
Titus 2:13 [Living] ... looking forward to that wonderful time we’ve been expecting, when his glory shall be seen--the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ.
1. Why is it called a “blessed hope”??
a. His coming is an anticipated and expected blessing because.....
**It will be the confirmation of His promise to return.
John 14:3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself;
Rev. 22:12 And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be.
b. **It will complete our salvation. Our souls have been redeemed by His precious blood (1 Peter 1:18,19), but on that day our bodies will be redeemed.
Romans 8:23 [Living] And even we Christians, although we have the Holy Spirit within us as a foretaste of future glory, also groan to be released from pain and suffering. We, too, wait anxiously for that day when God will give us our full rights as his children, including the new bodies he has promised us--bodies that will never be sick again and will never die.
Illustration: (Halderman) “How can a Christian be more than half saved as long as half of him (his body) lies mouldering in the grave? The body is still under the devil’s grip. He is the god of this world. He has a legal mortgage signed and sealed. The grave is his house, the bodies are his goods and he is ‘the strong man armed’, armed with the law which says
‘...death passed upon all men’ (Rom.5:12), and ‘it is appointed unto man once to die’ (Heb. 9:27).”
1 Cor. 15:55 O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?
c. **Because we will put on immortality.
1 Cor. 15:53-54 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. [54] So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.
Job 19:26 And though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God:
Philip. 3:21 Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself.
d. **We will be reunited with our loved ones.
Luke 13:29 And they shall come from the east, and from the west, and from the north, and from the south, and shall sit down in the kingdom of God.
1 Cor. 13:12 For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.
Mt. of Transfiguration - The disciples knew Moses and
Elijah.
2 Samuel 12:23 [Living] But why should I fast when he is dead? Can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he shall not return to me."
Song: “There will be a happy meeting in Heaven I know When we see the many loved ones we’ve known here below
Gathered on the blessed hilltops with hearts all aglow
That will be a glad reunion day.”
e. **There will be no more Devil, sin, temptations, sickness, sorrow, nor death.
- Satan will be cast into the lake of fire (Rev. 20:10).
- Sin - Rev. 21:27 And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb’s book of life.
- Temptation - The tempter is imprisoned forever.
Rev. 20:10 And the devil that
deceived them was cast into the lake of
fire and brimstone, where the beast and
the false prophet are, and shall be
tormented day and night for ever and
ever.
- Sickness, sorrow, death - Rev. 21:4 And God shall
wipe away all tears from their eyes; and
there shall be no more death, neither
sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there
be any more pain: for the former things
are passed away. (Also Rev. 22:3-5)
Song: “Heaven is a holy place, filled with glory and with grace. Sin can never enter there. All within its gates are pure, from defilement kept secure. Sin can never enter there.”
f. **Because we will see Jesus!!
Titus 2:13 Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;
1 John 3:1-3 Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not. [2] Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. [3] And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.
Job 19:25-27 For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth: [26] And though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God: [27] Whom I shall see for myself, and mine eyes shall behold, and not another; though my reins be consumed within me.
Psalm 17:15 [Living] But as for me, my contentment is not in wealth but in seeing you and knowing all is well between us. And when I awake in heaven, I will be fully satisfied, for I will see you face to face.
“O, I want to see Him, look upon His face...”
C. A Lively (or Living) Hope. [A hope of living eternally).
1 Peter 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
John 14:19 ...because I live, ye shall live also.
Proverbs 14:32 The wicked is driven away in his wickedness: but the righteous hath hope in his death.
D. A Steadfast Hope.
Hebrews 6:18-19 That by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us: [19] Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast, and which entereth into that within the veil;
Conclusion:
As the children of God, we have no cause to despair because we have hope, eternal hope, in Him. We must learn to expect good things from God!!!
