INTRODUCTION: "In his riveting and unsettling book Night, Elie Wiesel describes his boyhood experiences as one of the countless victims of the Holocaust. Ripped from his home and separated from everyone in his family except his father (who would die in the death camps), Wiesel suffered a dark night of the soul such as few will experience. It challenged his views and beliefs about God. His innocence and faith became sacrifices on the altar of man's evil and sin's darkness." [1]
The Psalm we are studying today is a result of a great trial in David's life. He was probably running for his life from his son Absalom who had rebelled against him and taken David's throne by force. What do we need more than anything else in our lives? We know that the answer is "God" but do we really live that way? Trials reveal what we are trusting to make life work. Here we see David's deep longing to be closer to his God. If God called David "...a man after His own heart..." (1 Samuel 13:14) and David longed to be closer to God then surely I need to be closer to God.
Our text today teaches us that we need God more than anything else. If I were to ask for a show of hands from everybody here who longs to have a closer walk with Christ, I would hope that every hand would go up. If you love Jesus Christ then you want to be closer to Him--just like anyone or anything else you might love.
The benefits of being closer to Jesus Christ are enormous. When we are discouraged He is the ... God of all comfort (2 Corinthians 1:3) and through God our ...hearts may be encouraged, having been knit together in love, and attaining to all the wealth that comes from the full assurance of understanding, resulting in a true knowledge of God's mystery, that is, Christ Himself (Colossians 2:2).
When we are weary Christ can give us strength to go on. Now may our Lord Jesus Christ Himself and God our Father, who has loved us and given us eternal comfort and good hope by grace, comfort and strengthen your hearts in every good work and word. (2 Thessalonians 2:16--17).
I assume that everyone here wants to live every day with more comfort, confidence, and strength. So, the question is HOW do we get closer to Christ? The truth we DON'T want to face is that ►Everyone of us is as close to God as we feel a need to be.
So, how can we increase our desire to be closer to God? As Paul put it, For the love of Christ controls us... (2 Corinthians 5:14 NAU)
If you want to want Christ, more than you do right now, then let's spend the next few minutes focusing on the three things we can do to make that happen.
►Vs.1-3,7 I. See God Working in Your Trials
Seeing God during a trial is not easy. Pain (whether physical or emotional) hurts and by nature we focus on that pain. Somehow we have to see past the disappointment or pain. We can do that if we understand three things.
► Vs.1-2a A. God is your greatest need "my soul pants for you"
We can go a long time without food (although it doesn't look like many of us have tried), but water is something we MUST have regularly in order to survive.
We must not settle for second rate, easy, temporary solutions. Ignoring problems doesn't help either. Our hard work and our attempts to manipulate people and circumstances never really solves the problem.
God is much more than a lifeguard who is there to drag us out of our circumstances when life is pulling us under. God must be much more to us than a tissue we use to dry our tears. Because when the tears are gone we will toss God, like a tissue.
We will NOT pant for God until we see how desperately we need Him. Paul knew how great his need for God was: Romans 7:18 For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh; for the willing is present in me, but the doing of the good is not. (NAU)
Jesus made it clear that without Him we are hopeless. John 15:5 "I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing. (NAU)
► Vs.2b-3 B. God is all you need "appear before God"
The solution is NOT that we need to work harder for God. The solution is an intimate relationship with God. Proverbs 3:5--6 Trust in the LORD with all your heart And do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He will make your paths straight. (NAU)
"The "water brooks" are springs which flow continually from subterranean rivers." [2]
A deer looks for streams of water because he knows that a few drinks from puddle won't do. Psalm 27:4 One thing I have asked from the LORD, that I shall seek: That I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, To behold the beauty of the LORD And to meditate in His temple. (NAU)
Psalm 143:6 I stretch out my hands to You; My soul longs for You, as a parched land. Selah. (NAU)
Moses was a man who considered God's presence his primary and only real need. Exodus 33:14--15, 18 And He said, "My presence shall go with you, and I will give you rest." Then he said to Him, "If Your presence does not go with us, do not lead us up from here. 18 Then Moses said, "I pray You, show me Your glory!" (NAU)
We need to adopt Paul's attitude about the importance of being close to Christ. Philippians 3:8 More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ, (NAU)
► Vs.7 C. God controls your trials "Your breakers and Your waves"
When Paul lost his freedom and was cast into a Roman prison he called himself Ephesians 4:1 ... the prisoner of the Lord... (NAU)
That is how Paul could rejoice from prison, even though he could no longer preach publicly. Paul knew that God controlled his trials so he looked for ways that God could be using his circumstances. Philippians 1:12--14 Now I want you to know, brethren, that my circumstances have turned out for the greater progress of the gospel, so that my imprisonment in the cause of Christ has become well known throughout the whole praetorian guard and to everyone else, and that most of the brethren, trusting in the Lord because of my imprisonment, have far more courage to speak the word of God without fear. (NAU)
►Vs.4, 8-10 II. Exercise Your Faith
► Vs.9-10 A. Share your heart with God "I will say to God"
Look again at verses 5 & 11. In a minute we will see that we need to learn how to talk to ourselves, but we must also learn how to talk to God. Complaining to others or to ourselves is easy, but it is vitally important that we talk to God about our problems.
As James reminds us that often ...You do not have because you do not ask. (James 4:2 NAU)
The first question we should ask ourselves when trials come our way is, "Have I talked to God about this problem?"
Humility demands that we run to God for help. Following Christ means abandoning ourselves. Matthew 16:24 Then Jesus said to His disciples, "If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me. (NAU)
A.W. Pink said, "Growing in grace is a growth downward--a lower estimate of ourselves and a deeper understanding of our nothingness."
► Vs.8 B. Anticipate God's presence "The LORD will"
245 times in the NASB you will find the phrase "The Lord will." The Lord must know that we need a constant reminder of what the He will do in the future. For example, listen to Zechariah 14:9 And the LORD will be king over all the earth; in that day the LORD will be the only one, and His name the only one. (NAU)
We need to remind ourselves that God will solve our problems just as we know that the sun will come up in the morning. Psalm 130:5--6 I wait for the LORD, my soul does wait, And in His word do I hope. My soul waits for the Lord More than the watchmen for the morning; Indeed, more than the watchmen for the morning. (NAU)
► Vs.4 C. Relive the joy of worshiping God "joy and thanksgiving"
There is a special joy when we worship God with others who love Him too.
"If you have no joy in your religion, there's a leak in your Christianity somewhere.--Billy Sunday" "Holy joy will beautify you."--Charles Spurgeon [3]
Can you remember times when you could feel the presence of God? Think back on those times. It is so easy to remember the tough times, that we need to put real effort into remembering the good times.
Psalm 95:1--2 O come, let us sing for joy to the LORD, Let us shout joyfully to the rock of our salvation. Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving, Let us shout joyfully to Him with psalms. (NAU)
►Vs.5-6,11 III. Sort Out What is Really Important
► Vs.5a,11a A. Ask yourself what is wrong "Why are you in despair, O my soul?"
We are all experts at listening to our own thoughts. We should all perfect the art of talking to ourselves (which is best done alone so others don't think you have lost it!).
By asking ourselves what is really bothering us, we are better able to identify what needs to happen next. Discouragement tends to hang over us like a dark cloud that we can't easily define.
► Vs.5b,11b B. Expect God to help you "Hope in God"
Psalm 32:7 You are my hiding place; You preserve me from trouble; You surround me with songs of deliverance. Selah. (NAU)
Psalm 62:5--6 My soul, wait in silence for God only, For my hope is from Him. He only is my rock and my salvation, My stronghold; I shall not be shaken. (NAU)
► Vs.6 C. Remember that God is not limited "Jordan...Hermon...Mizar"
It helps to remember how God has been faithful to His promises in the past.
"the land of Jordan" is an interesting phrase because Jordan is a river, not a land. This probably refers back to the time the Lord made the Jordan dry land for the Jews to cross over into Canaan. This pictures the power of God to deliver what He promises.
" Hermon" is the most northern place conquered by Israel. This would picture the extent of the victories provided by God.
"Hermon was regarded as a sacred place by the Canaanites who inhabited the land before the Israelites
"mount Mizar" This may be the name of a mountain east of the Jordan river that would be in the same mountain range of Mt. Sinai where Moses received the Ten Commandments.
All three of these places were a long way from Jerusalem. David was determined to remember the Lord right where he was. He wasn't waiting for a better place, or a better time to get close to the Lord.
CONCLUSION: Are you thirsty for God? If you are mostly satisfied with your life and yet you rarely (or never) seek the presence of God then you are in great danger.
If you have a deep thirst for God's presence in your life then take heart. God wants to satisfy your thirst. Isaiah 55:1 "Ho! Every one who thirsts, come to the waters; And you who have no money come, buy and eat. Come, buy wine and milk Without money and without cost. (NAU)
The thirst that we feel in our hearts can only be satisfied in Christ. John 7:37 Now on the last day, the great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, "If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink. (NAU)
"A tradition grew up in the few centuries before Jesus that on the 7 days of the Feast of Tabernacles, a golden container filled with water from the pool of Siloam was carried in procession by the High-Priest back to the temple. As the procession came to the Watergate on the South side of the inner temple court, 3 trumpet blasts were made to mark the joy of the occasion and the people recited Is. 12:3, "With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation." At the temple, while onlookers watched, the priests would march around the altar with the water container while the temple choir sang the Hallel (Pss. 113--118). The water was offered in sacrifice to God at the time of the morning sacrifice. The use of the water symbolized the blessing of adequate rainfall for crops. Jesus used this event as an object lesson and opportunity to make a very public invitation on the last day of the feast for His people to accept Him as the living water." [5]
Jesus told the wicked woman at the well: John 4:10 "If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, 'Give Me a drink,' you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water." (NAU)
Jesus has promised that Matthew 5:6 "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. (NAU)
"True godliness engages our affections and awakens within us a desire to enjoy God's presence and fellowship. It produces a longing for God himself." Jerry Bridges
[1]Our Daily Bread July 26, 2007 — by Bill Crowder
[2]Donald Williams and Lloyd J. Ogilvie, vol. 13, The Preacher's Commentary Series, Volume 13 : Psalms 1-72, The Preacher's Commentary series, 331 (Nashville, Tennessee: Thomas Nelson Inc, 1986).
[3]Robert J. Morgan, Nelson's Complete Book of Stories, Illustrations, and Quotes, electronic ed., 496 (Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 2000).
[4]From Nelson's Illustrated Bible Dictionary Copyright (C) 1986, Thomas Nelson Publishers
[5]John Jr MacArthur, The MacArthur Study Bible, electronic ed., Jn 7:37 (Nashville: Word Pub., 1997).
