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Monday, July 12, 2010

A Cast Down Soul

For the last week, I have been reading and meditating on two of my favorite Psalms, two that John MacArthur remarks were probably originally one, and those being chapters 42 and 43. In my Bible, they are entitled Longing for God and Hoping In God.  I suggest that we believers love the Psalms because we so relate, don't we? In this specific one that I have read time and time again, I realize that as the writer is honest and human, so can I be and so am I.

I know that when we are young and inexperienced, kinda "like....like....like...." spiritual teenagers who know all the answers although they haven't walked the path yet and we have "our" God in a box Who must explain clearly all He does,( like.... we are so proud we think we can figure completely out the GOD Who spoke this world into existence?) we think it is not spiritual to admit that on some days we go to bed feeling that life has "k-o'd" us. In fact, some mornings before I arise, I feel that way. And now, that I am older and wiser, I can admit that I don't know all of God's unsearchable ways and I can also confess that at times, I feel like the Psalmist of 42 and 43.Matthew Henry puts it like this referring to this passage of Scripture. "Gracious desires are here strong and fervent: gracious hopes and fears, joys and sorrows are here struggling, but the pleasing passion comes off a conqueror.Or we may take it for a conflict between sense and faith, sense objecting and faith answering"

Maybe a good illustration before we delve into this passage is that once I spoke with my doctor about the physical energy (or lack thereof) crisis in my body and even on some mornings, after a night's rest, I feel almost as tired as when I went to bed. He explained that when a person is fighting a chronic disease, it takes all the reserve it has just for that purpose. In my last blog, I referred to the fact that we, as Christians, are in a spiritual warfare. I know many prefer to think it is a playground but in reality, it is a battleground.  We are in a spiritual warfare against our flesh, the world, and satan, and as my doctor has worked diligently with me on ways to combat the fatigue and discouragement that is a result of that, Scripture is filled with antidotes and I would like to share from Ps. 42 and 43.

I am encouraged and blessed by the Psalmist's desire.Note verse 1, "As the hart (deer) panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after Thee, O God. My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God: when shall I come and appear before God?" In Psalm 63, while David is in the wilderness, he says "My soul followeth hard after Thee." Believer, don't let those difficult times keep you from God but run even harder to God.  My hunter husband, Dan tells me that a hunted deer will race hard to the water, not only for quenching his thirst, but to submerge himself if he is wounded. It will stop the bleeding!!  Oh, Friend, is your thirst , your desire, driving you to the living God? All around us, we see the poor and wounded fleeing hard to all kinds of gods, gold and silver ones which are in many cases, rapidly evaporating. They run to those gods of pleasure and entertainment, many of those entertainers whose lives are falling apart faster than the ones seeking them. Just the other day, in a conversation with someone concerning these men who make much money, have beautiful wives and children, live in palatial residences that most of my readers will never have, at the question of "Why do they risk that when they have it all?"  My answer being, "They don't have it all. God is All and mansions, fame, power don't make for fulfillment."

Praise God for those who desire the living God, Who does fulfill and never lets us down. In 43:3, he prays "send out Thy light and Thy truth" and the truth is , because God's Word declares it and I have personally found it to be so , our God, the living God, is always there. Jehovah Shammah is His name. Ez. 48:35  The Psalmist's desire is for God but his dilemma is his humanity. Three times in sixteen verses, he asks-"Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted in me...?"  This man knows God, longs for God, and hopes in God but here we find him giving himself a "pep talk".

My preacher boy, Jeff, wrote a piece one time instructing us to talk to ourselves instead of listening to ourselves. When I wake up in the morning, I hear this "You are already so tired, Deborah, how do you think you will make it through this day?"  But I say this- "God is my Rock" vs 9. "God is my Strength." 43:2. "God is my Song." vs 8. Learn how to pray Scripture back to God. He loves to hear you tell Him what His love letter to you says. He knows you have been reading it. Don't listen to the loud voices of discouragement, despair, and defeat. Rather, speak the tried and tested and trusted Truth that has triumphed through the ages.

We see the Psalmist's desire and dilemma and note now, his delight. Yes, God was and is ours and he remembered the delight of going to God's house with other believers. Our pastor reminded us on yesterday that if we insist on going it alone, on being a maverick, we will find ourselves discouraged and defeated more often than not. Other believers are our family and we need each other and should strive as much as it is possible to keep unity because that advances the Gospel message which, in turn, glorifies God. In this spiritual warfare, it is becoming less and less important to me that the soldier next to me has all my preferences. If he or she is a blood-bought believer in Christ, I want to fight along beside them and shoot at the same enemy that they are aiming for. Sidebar, I know, but the pettiness in churches today is a tool of the devil!

As the Psalmists struggles, he delights himself with memories of going to God's house with the multitudes , of remembering past grace which encourages us to look forward to future grace, regardless of what this day may bring forth. In Ps. 77, Asaph said, "This is my infirmity: (and we all have them), but I will remember the years of the right hand of the Most High. (El Elyon). I will remember the works of the LORD: surely, I will remember Thy wonders of old. I will meditate also of all Thy work, and talk of Thy doings."  We, I am sure, would walk in victory more often if we ceased dwelling on what the news prognosticators are predicting (and it is alright to be informed) but rather, meditating and proclaiming what God has already done and even more so on His future, final, and fabulous plan He will soon unfold!  In other words, to close, His deliverance. When the Psalmist asked his soul "why am I cast down?", he also answers three times with "Hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise Him for the help of His countenance." The word, countenance, is also translated face in other Scriptures, one being in Ps. 27:8-"When Thou saidst, seek ye my face: my heart said unto Thee, Thy face, LORD, will I seek."

I don't know Hebrew but the concordance, along with many other words, used these two:  to turn,  to face and simply put and to summarize, when your soul is cast down and I sympathize because all sojourners experience it , then turn to and with open Bible and open heart, face God with your burden. He controls the waves and billows of your soul and His loving, Sovereign, and Omnipotent Hand is on the thermostat of your life.  I love the study of sheep and at times, one will become a "cast" sheep. She has fallen down and can't get up. (sounds like a commercial, doesn't it?)   I love the story from shepherds' books that assure us that they go look for them and roll them over, get the blood circulating back to their limbs again, and sets them back on their feet and sends them on their way. I promise, (Landon would ask "do you pinkie promise?"), I promise you, dear one to the Shepherd, He will do no less. He gave His life for the sheep- what more could He do to convince us that He is for us?   Thank you, Lord, that You are our Desire, our Delight, and our Deliverer!!
     
Looking up, Deborah

"Yet the LORD will command His lovingkindness in the daytime, and in the night His song shall be with me, and my prayer unto the God of my life."  Amen

1 comment:

  1. hi deborah, just talked to danny & i wanted to tell you that you are an insperation to me. i have fibro-mialgia/cronic pain condition. i love you qoutes & i love Psalms; my litte book that is always with me has helped me when i felt that i was at the end of my rope, that is when i relized that i could not handle this on my own. but, with the Lords help i can at least handle the things in my life with grace, even the constant pain.
    Thank You once again.
    p.s. love the blog, trying to start one myself.
    Kathy Houseman
    Ace & A

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