REFRESH
Where do I go when I hurt?
Psalm 42
A young boy had misbehaved and was sent to bed by his mother. Just 5 minutes later he cried out Mom, I’m thirsty, can you bring me a drink of water? No, go to sleep. Five minutes later. Mom? What? Can I have a drink of water? She says I told you no and if you ask again I’m going to have to spank you. Five minutes later Mom? What??? When you come in to spank me, would you bring me a drink of water?
Have you ever been thirsty? I mean really thirsty. Your lips become dry. Your mouth is parched. Maybe your lips are even cracked from the dryness. But this is no water available. I have only been really thirsty like that one time. The short story is that I was admitted to the hospital with double pneumonia and was placed in ICU. They were giving me a drug that would drain the water out of my body and I was really thirsty. So I asked for water and the nurse brought it to me. One of those Styrofoam pitchers they use. I drank every ounce of it in a few minutes. Best water I had ever tasted. She was back in my room just a few minutes later and I said that was really good, Can I have some more? She gave me this puzzled look and said just a moment, I’ll be right back. He then came back and said, Sir you can’t have any water until you get better.
My wife came in to see me. I said honey, I’m very thirsty, would you get me some water? She smiled and said, nope. The nurse already told me you would probably ask and you can’t have it. I thought how did that nurse know I would ask her? A bit later my daughter came in to see me. I said Allison would you get Daddy some water? I’m completely out of water and I’m really thirsty. She smiled and said nope. Mama already told me not to. I thought how did she know I would ask her? So I got no water that day or the next. Until they could get all of the fluid out of my lungs. During that 48 hour period I only had one thing on my mind. Water. I wanted water more than anything else in the world.
Psalm 42 is referred to as a Maskil. A Maskil is a teaching Psalm. While many of the psalms are written by David, I believe this one is written by a different; while man of the Psalms are written as praises to lift up to the Lord this one is written to teach God’s people some specific truths that we need to understand. We need them
• When we are going through a time of discouragement
• When our walk with the Lord has become dry and plain
• When we are experiencing a time of depression
• When we are simply going through the motions and life has lost its meaning
Have you ever been there? More important, are you there right now?
The writer of this psalm is in a dark place. Many of us know what that is like. Because we have had a loved one who has gone through a very dark time—or on an even more personal level---we have been through this kind of darkness. I read several facts about depression this week. Let me share a few.
• Depression affects approximately 19 million Americans annually. About 10 percent of the population. By the way, these are only the ones who seek treatment.
• Nearly twice as many women are affected as men.
• The fastest growing group using antidepressants today are children—under the age of 5.
The Psalmist gives us 3 questions here for us to consider. Let’s look.
1. Where can we go when we need to meet with God? When we need to hear from God? V. 2b. The writer here is in great need/pain. He is at a time in his life when his spiritual life had apparently dried up. He is thirsty. He says, my soul pants for you O Lord just as a deer pants for water. This week a young man, Brock Douglas who plays music with our son, Brian. Brock’s mother died very suddenly, about 50 years old. When I learned of her death I called Brock to talk with him. He was panting. He was so out of breath he could hardly speak. He sounded like he had just come in from a 5 mile run. He was so emotional that he was completely out of breath. He could hardly talk. So I prayed with him. The word pant means to breathe quickly in a labored manner.
A deer pants for water when he has been running. Perhaps running to safety, maybe just tired but definitely in need of REFRESHMENT and when a deer experiences this, they move as quickly as possible to take care of that thirst. They want water.
The writer here is in the darkness of his life and he says v. 3 my tears have been my food day and night. He is too troubled to eat, the streams are streaming down his face; he can taste them constantly. And to top it off people are saying to him all day long, “where is your God?” “Where is your God?” They’re watching him. They watch us. They’re testing him. The test us. Don’t you love it?
When Job was going through so many difficulties—he had lost the farm, His house, cattle, then his whole family—everything—his health, his friends did this exact thing to him. They said, call out if you will but who is going to answer you? Even his wife turned against him and said why don’t you just give up, just curse God and die. I think this is where we get the phrase, with friends like this who needs enemies? Too many of us when we see that someone is down—they’re hurting—we only make matters worse. Men are saying to him all day long---where is your God now? Where is your God?
The psalmist remembers—he says it here---v.4. These things I remember. How I used to go with the multitude. I was the one leading the way to the house of God. And he seems to answer his own question. Where can I go and meet with God? …….right here…at His house.
2. He then poses a 2nd question and again he poses the question to himself. This time he says in v. 5 “Why are you downcast O my soul? Another version says why am I so depressed? Why am I so discouraged?” Perhaps you have asked that question before. It is a common question that that believers ask. And they ask many times because of one of several myths. Lies that we as believers have bought into.
Several myths.
1. We believed that when we came to Christ, that our lives would be easy. We believed that God owes us something. One TV evangelist told his listeners to put pictures of the things they wanted on their refrigerators
• A Cadillac
• A diamond necklace
• A husband
• A house
Or whatever and then claim it in the name of Jesus. People shake their fist in the air and demand that God do a particular thing.
What we miss is an important truth. God is with us in our suffering. Immanuel. When all is well we say we are blessed, God is with me. Let me give you a different truth here. God may be with you more in your suffering than He is in our times of prosperity. You just haven’t realized it.
2. A second myth. When we came to Christ we believed that our happiness is based on circumstances. It’s not. It’s based on trust. You see there’s always going to be something wrong. But it’s a matter of focus. A matter of perspective. But sometimes we believe in our circumstances more than we believe in God. And we forget how much God has helped us in the past.
Again he answers his own question. Why am I so discouraged? So depressed? Here is the answer. Put your hope in God. The word is Elpis. Not Elvis. Elpis means hope. When we say hope—I hope for this, I hope for that, we are speaking of desire. But in the NT, elpis means desire plus expectation. Jesus is our hope---I not only desire to be with him, I expect to be with Him.
3. A third myth. We accepted the belief that Christians cannot/should not be depressed. Believers are not immune to this thing called depression. Nor are we immune to cancer. Or heart diease.
3rd question. V. 9. Why have you forgotten about me? We usually ask this question when we see a friend who seems really blessed, things are going really well, yet we know they have been living like the devil. And we don’t like it. We shout at God. Lord have you forgotten about me? Have you forgotten my address? Can you not hear me? I’ve been there. You’ve been there. The psalmist asks why must I continue mourning?
My bones hurt. My enemies make fun. They ask again, where is your God? Why am I down? What can I do? Here it is. Put your hope in God.
The story is told of a young man who was searching for God when he came upon a priest who was praying by the river. The young man interrupted him and said sir I want God more than anything in my life. Can you help me?
The priest jumped up, grabbed him by the arm, dragged him into the river, and plunged his head under water. After holding him there for a minute the priest pulled him up out of the river. The priest again said "Tell me, what do you want?” He said I want God more than anything else. H then dunked him another time asked the same question and then again, each time holding him under even longer. He then raised him out of the water and the man was kicking and screaming…… struggling to free himself. The young man coughed up water and was gasping to get his breath. When he eventually quieted down, the priest said now “tell me, what do you want? The man replied "Air!" answered the man. I want air more than anything. The priest said, very well, now “Go home and come back to me when you want God as much as you just wanted air."
Most of us don’t really want God more than anything else in the world. We want Him especially when things are going very well. When we’re in trouble. When we hurt. When we can’t pay our mortgage. When life is caving in. But what happens when everything gets fixed. What do we want then? Not God. We put our focus on other things. If you are going through a struggle right now. Listen to these words from a pastor several centuries ago. “Don’t let your trials be wasted on you.” Whatever you are facing, give it to God. Ask Him to walk with you all the way through it. And whatever you do, never give up on God.
