Tuesday, October 19, 2010

In pain I Lift you up.

As the deer pants for streams of water, 
       so my soul pants for you, O God.
 2 My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. 
       When can I go and meet with God?

 3 My tears have been my food 
       day and night, 
       while men say to me all day long, 
       "Where is your God?"

 4 These things I remember 
       as I pour out my soul: 
       how I used to go with the multitude, 
       leading the procession to the house of God, 
       with shouts of joy and thanksgiving 
       among the festive throng.

 5 Why are you downcast, O my soul? 
       Why so disturbed within me? 
       Put your hope in God, 
       for I will yet praise him, 
       my Savior and 6 my God. 
       My soul is downcast within me; 
       therefore I will remember you 
       from the land of the Jordan, 
       the heights of Hermon—from Mount Mizar.

 7 Deep calls to deep 
       in the roar of your waterfalls; 
       all your waves and breakers 
       have swept over me.

 8 By day the LORD directs his love, 
       at night his song is with me— 
       a prayer to the God of my life.

 9 I say to God my Rock, 
       "Why have you forgotten me? 
       Why must I go about mourning, 
       oppressed by the enemy?"

 10 My bones suffer mortal agony 
       as my foes taunt me, 
       saying to me all day long, 
       "Where is your God?"

 11 Why are you downcast, O my soul? 
       Why so disturbed within me? 
       Put your hope in God, 
       for I will yet praise him, 
       my Savior and my God.
-PSALM 42:1-11 (NASB)




     In times of silence, and in times of solace, when every one seems to turn away, leave you, reject you, scorn you, mock you, and torn you; when you feel that you are crawling on your knees striving to reach your goal, yet the people around you seem to step on you, spit on you, kick you down to the ground, can you still cry and give praise to GOD?

     This is what David experienced as he wrote this psalm. He was so discouraged, down, and upset as it is repeatedly stated in vv. 3 and 10. PEOPLE AROUND HIM MOCK HIM AND HIS GOD! In this chaos which David is going through, He cannot seem to find God near Him, he cannot find God's promises.

     In this time of great dilemma wherein what you Know (GOD IS HERE) and What You FEEL (God is far away) are constantly clashing, what should we do?

LOOK BACK:
     
     Look back and remember, not the hurts or the pains, but HOW HE HAS LIFTED YOU! 
LOOK BACK and remember His PROMISES. as David poetically described his remembrance of the way he used to be before this problem in vv. 4 and 6.

" I WILL REMEMBER YOU!" v6.

     In times of trouble and great pain, in times of mourning and when i can't seem to see the promises unfolding, I will remember YOU, your promises, for You are faithful and You are always there. That alone gives me the reason to PRAISE YOU in spite of my pain. as repeated in vv 5,11

Why are you downcast, O my soul? 
       Why so disturbed within me? 
       Put your hope in God, 
       for I will yet praise him, 
       my Savior and my God. (v 11)
IN PAIN I LIFT YOU UP!