Psalm 42-43. The Psalmist spoke to himself while under persecution and in exile, three times in these two Psalm which should be read as a unit. The Psalmist asked himself a question, “why are you discouraged?” Each time the Psalmist didn’t attempt to answer his question but he provided the solution, “put hope in God.”
I want to encourage you this morning to Beat the Blues by Fighting the Feelings.
The Psalmist was not on his own in fighting the feelings; you are not on your own in beating the blues. Often when the phrase, “you’re not on your own” is aimed at comforting us, because other people are going through the same thing, for the Christian, “you’re not on your own” means we have God with us to help us fight the feelings and beat the blues.
Abraham (Genesis 15) felt hopeless because he was childless. God gave him a promise; you have got promises over you life.
Moses (Numbers 11: 10-16) couldn’t cope with the pressure of leadership so God gave him a plan and a Father- in- Law to help him. (Exodus 18) God gives us wisdom and people to help.
Jonah (Jonah 4) ran away and God sent a fish and a worm to get him back on track. If the situation is swallowing you up and someone is bugging you, it may be to get you back to where you should be in your journey with the Lord.
In the book of Job, however desperate Job got God seemed to give him the strength to keep believing. God can give you the same strength.
Elijah (1 Kings 19) Elijah wanted to die but with the help of ministering angels he won the fight. God can and does send His angels to aid us in the fight.
King Saul (I Samuel 16:14-23, etc.)
Jeremiah (Book of Jeremiah)
David (Psalms 6, 13, 18, 23, 25, 27, 31, 32, 34, 37-40, 42-43, 46, 51, 55, 62-63, 69, 71, 73, 77, 84, 86, 90-91, 94-95, 103-104, 107, 110, 116, 118, 121, 123-124, 130, 138, 139, 141-143, 146-147)
If we don’t fight the feelings of anger, bitterness, resentment or revenge we will simply rehearse them until they rule us, until we can’t talk or think about anything else, even robbing us of our sleep.
If those feelings are winning in your life can I suggest three things that Warren Wiersbe offers from Psalm 42-43?
Stop looking at yourself and start looking at God. Lift my eyes, (Ps121), Fix your eyes (Heb 12:1-2).
An introspective review of our feelings will not help, but a view of God's loving purposes for our lives will.
The most important thing about any difficult experience is not THAT we get out of it, but WHAT we get out of it.
God can use bad experience for our good; always seek to be better not bitter after a bad experience. The Psalmist quickly said to his downcast soul, “put hope in God for better times are on the way when you’ll praise God”.
Stop looking at the past and start looking at the future.
In all three refrains, the psalmist appealed to hope, and a biblical hope is in that which is not seen and in that which is not yet. "For in hope we have been saved, but hope that is seen is not hope; for why does one also hope for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, with perseverance we wait eagerly for it" (Rom. 8:24-25).
When the Psalmist looked to the past it was good; I remember going to the house of the Lord, under God’s protection, with shouts of Joy & Praise. I will remember life in Jordon, on the Mountains, good times.
If you look to the bad past you’ll see a bad future, a hopeless future.
Stop searching for reasons and start resting on promises.
Our hope must rest solely in the character and promises of God. He has not called us to understand Him, but to trust Him.
Talk truth to yourself and you’ll think faith-filled thoughts. What you say to yourself is what you’ll think.
The Psalmist said, “My Rock.” (42: 8-9) “My stronghold.” (42:2) In the Psalmist’s talk the outcome was always, “I will praise God, better days are coming.”
