Hoping to help his church save some money…Pastor Jones decided to paint the church exterior himself. The funds were low and all he had on hand was one bucket of paint. So…he collected as many empty buckets as he could find and gathered them close to the water spicket on the side of the church building. Then he began to thin the paint enough so that he’d be able to cover the entire building using the paint he had available. Then…he spend the whole day painting.
That night it rained and washed off all the paint. Well…understandably so…the pastor was incredibly discouraged. He asked God, “Why…why Lord…did you let it rain and wash away all my hard work?” To which God replied, “Repaint and thin no more!”
Life…as wonderful as it is…can sure have it’s times / seasons of discouragement. Circumstances can come our way that can threaten to steal our joy.
The truth is…discouragement is very real.
You may be here today and feel as though you’ve lost your joy…or maybe you’re not as joyful as you once were. Well…I’ve come to declare Good News today! God desires for you to be joyful! You may be here and feel as though you’re “hanging on by a thread”…God has hope for you today!
You may have lost your joy…but the Good News is: Joy is something God can restore in your life! And it’s the joy of the Lord that is your strength!
So…How do we climb out of despair / discouragement / heaviness and climb into Hope and Joy!
That’s the fight the Psalmist is experiencing in Psalm 42,43.
Context:
These two Psalms go together. (Actually 1 Psalm)
Written by The Sons of Korah.
Korah was a Levite who led a rebellion against Moses.
Awesome to see God chosing to use the descendants of someone who Himself hadn’t been faithful to God.
Ought to remind every one of us that regardless of the home you come from…God can and will use you!
Probably written on behalf of David when he was in hiding…being hunted by his own son, Absalom.
One of the great things about these two Psalms is that it shows us that you can have hope without having everything figured out.
So…let’s walk through these chapters and then…I want to give you a Fight Plan for Discouragement.
v.1,2 -
Verse one is one of those verses we have kinda turned into a nice painting. There’s this beautiful deer in this beautiful valley…drinking from a beautiful stream. There’s butterflys everywhere…happy little trees…a beautiful blue sky with perfect white clouds.
Here’s the problem…that’s not the picture this verse is painting.
A deer panting for water isn’t a pretty site.
Instead…picture this exhausted…thin…weary deer…staggering in desperation…about to die…trying to find something somewhere to drink.
Thirst ain’t pretty!
When you’re thirsty…you get dehydrated. You lose energy. You start to hallucinate. And if you don’t eventually get something to drink…you die.
v.3 -
Probably for all of us at some point…and perhaps for some of us here at this very moment…these words accurately describe how we’ve felt or are currently feeling.
The Psalmist isn’t just having a bad day.
He’s expressing a heaviness…a level of discouragment that consumes him.
It’s the type of discouragement where you cry until you run out of tears.
You pray to the point…you no longer no anything else to pray.
He’s at a point where life’s circumstances make it seem as though God is no where to be found.
The situation he is facing is mocking his faith.
v.4 -
His heart is breaking. Why?
Because of how drastically life has taken a nosedive.
He’s thinking about “how it used to be.”
He’s wishing things were “as they used to be.”
He’s hiding out in a cave and he’s wishing he were in church…with the people of God…in the presence of God.
Now seriously…think about this for a moment. Out of all the places he could hope to be instead of the discouraging place he finds himself currently…he choses church. Why? Because that’s where his soul was refeshed and encouraged!
David thirsted…he longed for…he craved…worship with God’s people. Because it’s among God’s people that God has always chosen to dwell and reveal Himself. Let me caution you…not just as someone who is a part of Celebrate Church…but as a Christian: If you are only here twice a month…you’re starving your soul.
I read a quote this week: “The more you miss church…the less you miss church.”
Most of you know I’m very passionate about faithfulness to the house of God. I’ve always cared about this because I know it to be true: A casual heart towards worship and the house of God almost always reveals a casual heart towards God Himself. I love the church! I love you. It breaks my heart to watch families miss out on experiencing the blessings and joy God has for them. Fight to be here every week. Come ready to worship. Come ready to pour yourself out. Come craving to hear and receive what God has for you. Don’t just watch. Worship…enter in…take notes…chew on God’s Word that’s declared.
v.5,6 -
Why am I so down in the dumps?
Why am I so bummed out?
Why is this situation getting the best of me?
Then he preaches to himself.
He’s taking what he knows to be true (whether he feels it at the moment or not)…and he is using the truth as a weapon against the discouragment / heaviness that is doing a number on his heart and mind.
He’s not denying the fact he’s discouraged.
He’s choosing to change his focus…to remember God’s faithfulness.
v.7 -
example - Times I’ve been out in the ocean and been absolutely crushed by a wave and struggled to get back to the surface while it tossed me around.
That’s what I picture here.
He’s calling out from the depths of his suffering.
He feels like he’s about to drown.
v.8,9,10 -
As I read these two Psalms it’s almost like a roller coaster ride.
That’s kinda the way our emotions act when we’re struggling with discouragement.
One second we’re focusing on the reality of the circumstances…the next…we’re encouraged by the Truth and the Promises found in God’s Word…then…
We don’t have to guess about how he’s feeling.
He’s hurting.
He feels forgotten.
He doesn’t have it all together and doesn’t have it all figured out.
Yet even though he’s discouraged…He knows (he may not feel it…but he knows it)…that God’s love for him is unfailing.
In the natural…the song he’s singing within himself isn’t a peaceful one.
But he doesn’t sing his song. He makes a decision to sing God’s songs and to bring his heaviness to the Lord.
v.11 -
It’s a repeat of verse 5.
He’s still in the battle…pointing his head and his heart in the right direction…towards victory!
Towards hope!
He’s not there yet…but He knows the Lord is faithful!
43:1,2 -
Back on the rollercoaster.
He knows God is his safe haven. He knows God is his rescuer.
BUT…what he’s going through makes him feel as though God has tossed him aside and forgotten all about him.
Ever been there?
43:3,4 -
Lord…I’m wandering in darkness. I can’t find my way out of this.
Lead me out of this…direct me…save me…rescue me.
And once again…notice where he wants to go.
He’s longing to be in God’s presence.
He knows that’s where he will exchance the spirit of heaviness for a spirit of joy.
43:5 -
It’s a repeat of verses 5 & 11 of chapter 2.
He’s just preached himself a three-point sermon in which all three points were the same thing.
Still in the battle…but deliberately fighting to point his spirit towards hope and victory despite his surroundings.
Now…using what we just read…let me give you A Fight Plan for Finding Hope When Your Heart is Heavy.
1. Freely Express Yourself To God
While the Psalmist is without question reverent of the Lord…there is a rawness to his honesty about how he’s feeling.
George Wood - “For the Spirit-filled believer, such thoughts are especially burdensome because we know one fruit of the Spirit is joy. Added to depression…therefore…is guilt for having it.”
We are trained to keep a stiff upper lip and model for others a life without shadows or heartache.
There’s one problem: it’s a lie. Everyone walks through trying times and circumstances.
Everyone is confronted with the spirit of heaviness and discouragment.
If you want to find hope…start by shooting straight with God.
God isn’t afraid of your pain or doubt.
1 Peter 5:7 (TPT) - “Pour out all your worries and stress upon Him and leave them there, for He always tenderly cares for you!”
2. Incline Your Ear to His Voice
Psalm 34:18 (CEV) - “The Lord is there to rescue all who are discouraged and have given up hope.”
Elijah…was worn out…ready to give up…yet in the darkness of despair…he found hope when he heard the gentle whisper of the Lord’s voice speaking.
Despair…discouragment can be crippling.
Yet…if you’ll incline your ear…it’s in the times of deep suffering we are often offered the deepest promises of God.
Your deep suffering has a deep answer.
When you’re fighting to find hope…incline your hear…and fix your heart on the Lord’s voice.
He loves you! He sees your darkness…he sees every tear…and He will see you through.
It was Jesus who said, “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28)
3. Give Yourself A Good Talking To
The most influential person in your life is…YOU.
You talk to and listen to yourself more than you listen to anyone else.
Sometimes our own voice can be very dangerous to listen to.
Dr. Martin Lloyd Jones - “The main trouble in this whole matter of spiritual depression (discouragment) in a sense is this, that we allow our self to talk to us instead of talking to our self.”
You look at these two chapters and it’s obvious the author is having a debate within himself.
One minute it’s “God…have you forgotten me? Where are you? Can’t you see what’s going on?”
And then he interrupts himself.
He stops listening to himself and starts preaching to himself.
And when you’re fighting to find hope…that’s what you have to do.
When the thoughts start pouring into your heart, “It’s never going to get better. I’ll always be ___________.”
You’ve got to stop listening to SELF and start preaching to SELF.
SELF…get your eyes off of your circumstances and put your hope in God.
Sometimes we have to stir ourselves up in the things of God.
Sometimes we have to get our flesh to obey the Word of God so we can see the breakthrough we need in the spiritual realm.
I may feel forgotten but the truth is: My God will never leave me or forsake me. The Lord is my helper…who shall I fear? (Hebrews 13:5)
When you’re fighting to find hope…stop listening to your flesh and start preaching the Good News to yourself.
Give Yourself a Good Talking To!
4. Hang Around The Right People
The truth is…sometimes the spirit of heaviness can be overwhelming.
Our heart can be weighed down with despair.
And the thing about our heart is…it’s deceitful.
Even though we know countless promises…sometimes we can’t even preach to ourselves.
Sometimes we need someone else to take God’s promises and give us a good talking to.
We need someone in our lives who won’t allow us to wallow in pity or drown in despair.
Example: I have a group of about 5 ministry friends I went to college with that I can share my heaviness with as well as my joy.
A while back I was having a pit of a pity party and one of these guys called me on the carpet…reminded me of who God was and all He’d promised.
We need someone in our lives who won’t just feel sorry for me or with me in the pit I’m in…but they’ll play a part in lifting me out of the pit as well.
5. Transfuse The Atmosphere With Praise
The Bible speaks of the Lord inhabiting the praises of His people.
The Bible says that “heaviness” is actually a spirit.
Heaviness tries to keep your head down so you can’t even look up to the place where your help comes from.
Heaviness is a spirit that tries to take the place of God’s Spirit.
There is one thing that is Scripturally guaranteed to chase the spirit of heaviness away. Praise.
Isaiah 61:3 - “Put on the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness.”
When you begin to praise…you bring God into whatever situation / circumstance you are facing.
Even if you don’t feel like it…even if you can’t in the natural find a reason to do it…even when (especially when) it’s difficult…open your mouth and begin to declare the Lord’s goodness in the middle of the darkness you’re facing.
Psalm 16:11 says that in His presence you find fullness of joy! Joy is the opposite of heaviness!
Every command of God is for your benefit…your good…and your joy.
That’s why praise and rejoicing isn’t a suggestion in Scripture…it’s a command.
Psalm 132:16 - “Shout aloud FOR joy!”
A shout: unnerves the enemy and encourages / emboldens God’s people.
Example: Basketball
If you want / need joy in your life…shout FOR it!
Psalm 100:1 - “Make a joyful noise!”
A shout / joyful noise…is a bold declaration of God’s glory…it’s an outward expression of praise!
Psalm 92:1 says, “It is good to sing praise to our God!”
Philippians 4:4 - “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!”
CLOSING:
To “re” anything means we are going to do it again.
to re-peat is to do the same thing again.
to re-cite is to use the same words again.
to re-member is to call up stored information again.
to re-enter is to enter again.
So…when the Philippians 4:4 says, “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!”
it means: make the same expression of joy in the present that we experienced at some point in the past.
It’s the idea of celebrating and praising in hard times just as much as we do or even more than we may have when circumstances and situations were better.
If God has blessed us before…He will bless us again…so we rejoice!
If God has healed before…He will heal once again…so we rejoice!
If God has provided before…He will provide again…so we rejoice!
?
Are you discouraged? Is your heart heavy? If so…it’s time to put up a FIGHT!
Freely Express Yourself To God
Incline Your Ear to His Voice
Give Yourself A Talking To
Hang Around The Right People
Transfuse The Atmosphere With Praise
{I would like to thank and acknowledge Spence Shelton who's sermon "FIGHTING FOR HOPE" was the inspiration for the basis of what the Lord led me to share. Spence shared his sermon at The Summit Church on April 22, 2018.}
