Hope Dealer
Hope, Psalm 42, 25 August 2024
Psalm 42: Hope
Restoring Your Soul: Psalms
Kirk Schneemann
College First Church of God
August 25, 2024
Series Big Idea: The Psalms are filled with passionate expressions of the soul.
Big Idea: Our world and emotions can feel out of control, but hope can always be found in God our rock.
What do you need this morning? Someone has said humans can go 40 days without food 3 days without water 8 minutes without air 1 second without hope
Today’s we’re concluding our series on the Psalms with a look at Psalm 42. This is our sixth psalm, and we’ll surely cover more in the future. I hope you’ve enjoyed this journey as much as I have, following the highs and lows—the ups and downs—of the songwriters who penned these song lyrics contained in the hymnbook of the Bible.
I love roller coasters, but when life feels like one, it can be distressing, to say the least. I’ve spoken with many former coaster riders who simply can’t stomach them anymore. Similarly, I’ve met countless people who have grown weary from the motion of emotions in life, and I know the feeling! Let’s dive in.
For the director of music. A maskil of the Sons of Korah. (Psalm 42:0)
This was not written by David, but rather by Korahites, first mentioned in Numbers 26:58 as one of the chief Levitical families, gatekeepers and singers at the temple. A maskil is a contemplative poem. They write,
As the deer pants for streams of water,
so my soul pants for you, my God. (Psalm 42:1)
This is quite an image. We all know what it’s like to pant for water, especially on a hot day, perhaps after mowing the lawn, taking a walk to the mailbox, or for the most radical among us, engaging in a triathlon. What’s wrong with these people?! Just kidding! I can tell you after I do my two-mile jogs, I’m panting all right! My body cries out for water, and that’s the kind of passion and desperation described here for God.
My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.
When can I go and meet with God? (Psalm 42:2)
Last week we saw In Psalm 103 David speaking to his soul, telling it to bless the LORD. This Hebrew word for soul, nephesh, is referring to the self, not the immortal soul found in the New Testament. It means life. The writer’s entire living being thirsts for God.
Do you? Have you ever been excited, even anxious to meet with God? When God’s presence dwelled behind a curtain in the temple in the place called the holy of holies, it was a big deal for the priest to go and meet with God.
But we can do it anytime we want! What a tremendous gift (one I take for granted).
My tears have been my food
day and night,
while people say to me all day long,
“Where is your God?” (Psalm 42:3)
What a description of sorrow and abandonment. It’s one thing to cry. It’s another thing to cry non-stop, day and night with people mocking you about your faith. He’s losing hope. Can you relate?
These things I remember
as I pour out my soul:
how I used to go to the house of God
under the protection of the Mighty One
with shouts of joy and praise
among the festive throng. (Psalm 42:4)
The writer is remembering the good old days, but more than that, they felt protected, surrounded by a festival of joy and praise to the LORD. Maybe he was thinking about gatherings like this, filled with people and praises. Family, it is good for us to be together. We need to sing and worship together. It’s contagious! If COVID taught us anything, it’s that we need one another…in person, not just on a screen. Laughter, hugs, singing, conversations, …donuts! Sunday mornings together are precious, and many of our brothers and sisters around the world can only imagine the joy of public praise.
But nostalgia is a curious thing. Our minds don’t always recall the past accurately, more than that being skeptical about this account, I want to suggest today is tomorrow’s good old days. What if today is as good as it gets? I know that’s a depressing thought, but let’s pause for a moment and count our blessings in this moment. They are many.
We need to pause and remember God’s faithfulness. That’s one reason we gather here each week. We so easily forget His goodness. The word “remember” is found over 150 times in the scriptures, including Jesus’ words to come to the table and remember his death and resurrection through communion or Eucharist. Although He is always doing new things, God never changes. The God of past miracles is present here and now.
The psalmist continues,
Why, my soul, are you downcast?
Why so disturbed within me?
Put your hope in God,
for I will yet praise him,
my Savior and my God. (Psalm 42:5)
Perhaps the best way to deal with problems in life is to look upon something greater. What do you have after a loss? What opportunities surround you? What people have your back? Or most of all, instead of looking at your circumstances, look up to God’s strength which is always greater than anything we face.
My soul is downcast within me;
therefore I will remember you
from the land of the Jordan,
the heights of Hermon—from Mount Mizar. (Psalm 42:6)
What’s the therefore there for? Because his soul is downcast, he will remember God. When you reach the bottom, there’s only one place to look…up! Look at what happens when he shifts his focus to God.
Deep calls to deep
in the roar of your waterfalls;
all your waves and breakers
have swept over me. (Psalm 42:7)
He feels overwhelmed by his troubles…but returns to God, the Creator of the waterfalls, waves, and breakers (“your”).
By day the LORD directs his love,
at night his song is with me—
a prayer to the God of my life. (Psalm 42:8)
This would almost fit on a Hallmark card! What a beautiful and comforting sentiment. But like a roller coaster, he shifts again.
I say to God my Rock,
“Why have you forgotten me?
Why must I go about mourning,
oppressed by the enemy?” (Psalm 42:9)
He acknowledges God as rock but feels forgotten by God. Have you ever felt forgotten by God? We need to acknowledge our emotions and express them constructively. Prayer is one way to do that. But our feelings are not always trustworthy. I love the honesty as he pours out his heart to God. We can be honest in prayer, too.
My bones suffer mortal agony
as my foes taunt me,
saying to me all day long,
“Where is your God?” (Psalm 42:10)
It’s not clear whether there is physical pain or if this is a metaphor, but those around him are no help, taunting him. We finally come to the end of this song, this prayer, this cry to the LORD.
Why, my soul, are you downcast?
Why so disturbed within me?
Put your hope in God,
for I will yet praise him,
my Savior and my God. (Psalm 42:11)
Author Lewis B. Smedes put it this way: Hope is to our spirits what oxygen is to our lungs. Lose hope and you die. They may not bury you for a while, but without hope you are dead inside. The only way to face the future is to fly straight into it on the wings of hope…hope is the energy of the soul. Hope is the power of tomorrow.
Who could use a little more hope? The key to hope, of course, is its object. You can hope for anything…a new car, a perfect spouse, a wonderful job, 80 degrees and sunny! In the business world, it has been said that hope is not a strategy…”I hope we start to make some sales so we don’t go bankrupt.”
But prayer is powerful. We worship the God of miracles. The stock market will fail, our relationships will fail, our physical bodies will fail, but when our hope is in the LORD, we can expect great things. They’re not always instant, and they’re not always the way we could plan them, but God can be trusted. He can handle whatever has you down today, whatever is weighting you down, whatever is causing fear, worry, or anxiety.
I’m preaching to myself!
So What?
As we conclude this series on the Psalms, we’ve read song lyrics about being rooted, the power of God as a mighty fortress. We saw Jesus portrayed vividly as the crimson worm centuries before his birth in Bethlehem. We examined the value of brokenness and repentance following sin, and were reminded the value of praise and the worthiness of God.
We all need food, water, and air, but when our world and emotions feel out of control, hope can always be found in God our rock. Hallelujah!
For extra credit, read the continuation of Psalm 42 in Psalm 43!
Restoring Your Soul: Psalms
Kirk Schneemann
College First Church of God
August 25, 2024
Series Big Idea: The Psalms are filled with passionate expressions of the soul.
Big Idea: Our world and emotions can feel out of control, but hope can always be found in God our rock.
What do you need this morning? Someone has said humans can go 40 days without food 3 days without water 8 minutes without air 1 second without hope
Today’s we’re concluding our series on the Psalms with a look at Psalm 42. This is our sixth psalm, and we’ll surely cover more in the future. I hope you’ve enjoyed this journey as much as I have, following the highs and lows—the ups and downs—of the songwriters who penned these song lyrics contained in the hymnbook of the Bible.
I love roller coasters, but when life feels like one, it can be distressing, to say the least. I’ve spoken with many former coaster riders who simply can’t stomach them anymore. Similarly, I’ve met countless people who have grown weary from the motion of emotions in life, and I know the feeling! Let’s dive in.
For the director of music. A maskil of the Sons of Korah. (Psalm 42:0)
This was not written by David, but rather by Korahites, first mentioned in Numbers 26:58 as one of the chief Levitical families, gatekeepers and singers at the temple. A maskil is a contemplative poem. They write,
As the deer pants for streams of water,
so my soul pants for you, my God. (Psalm 42:1)
This is quite an image. We all know what it’s like to pant for water, especially on a hot day, perhaps after mowing the lawn, taking a walk to the mailbox, or for the most radical among us, engaging in a triathlon. What’s wrong with these people?! Just kidding! I can tell you after I do my two-mile jogs, I’m panting all right! My body cries out for water, and that’s the kind of passion and desperation described here for God.
My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.
When can I go and meet with God? (Psalm 42:2)
Last week we saw In Psalm 103 David speaking to his soul, telling it to bless the LORD. This Hebrew word for soul, nephesh, is referring to the self, not the immortal soul found in the New Testament. It means life. The writer’s entire living being thirsts for God.
Do you? Have you ever been excited, even anxious to meet with God? When God’s presence dwelled behind a curtain in the temple in the place called the holy of holies, it was a big deal for the priest to go and meet with God.
But we can do it anytime we want! What a tremendous gift (one I take for granted).
My tears have been my food
day and night,
while people say to me all day long,
“Where is your God?” (Psalm 42:3)
What a description of sorrow and abandonment. It’s one thing to cry. It’s another thing to cry non-stop, day and night with people mocking you about your faith. He’s losing hope. Can you relate?
These things I remember
as I pour out my soul:
how I used to go to the house of God
under the protection of the Mighty One
with shouts of joy and praise
among the festive throng. (Psalm 42:4)
The writer is remembering the good old days, but more than that, they felt protected, surrounded by a festival of joy and praise to the LORD. Maybe he was thinking about gatherings like this, filled with people and praises. Family, it is good for us to be together. We need to sing and worship together. It’s contagious! If COVID taught us anything, it’s that we need one another…in person, not just on a screen. Laughter, hugs, singing, conversations, …donuts! Sunday mornings together are precious, and many of our brothers and sisters around the world can only imagine the joy of public praise.
But nostalgia is a curious thing. Our minds don’t always recall the past accurately, more than that being skeptical about this account, I want to suggest today is tomorrow’s good old days. What if today is as good as it gets? I know that’s a depressing thought, but let’s pause for a moment and count our blessings in this moment. They are many.
We need to pause and remember God’s faithfulness. That’s one reason we gather here each week. We so easily forget His goodness. The word “remember” is found over 150 times in the scriptures, including Jesus’ words to come to the table and remember his death and resurrection through communion or Eucharist. Although He is always doing new things, God never changes. The God of past miracles is present here and now.
The psalmist continues,
Why, my soul, are you downcast?
Why so disturbed within me?
Put your hope in God,
for I will yet praise him,
my Savior and my God. (Psalm 42:5)
Perhaps the best way to deal with problems in life is to look upon something greater. What do you have after a loss? What opportunities surround you? What people have your back? Or most of all, instead of looking at your circumstances, look up to God’s strength which is always greater than anything we face.
My soul is downcast within me;
therefore I will remember you
from the land of the Jordan,
the heights of Hermon—from Mount Mizar. (Psalm 42:6)
What’s the therefore there for? Because his soul is downcast, he will remember God. When you reach the bottom, there’s only one place to look…up! Look at what happens when he shifts his focus to God.
Deep calls to deep
in the roar of your waterfalls;
all your waves and breakers
have swept over me. (Psalm 42:7)
He feels overwhelmed by his troubles…but returns to God, the Creator of the waterfalls, waves, and breakers (“your”).
By day the LORD directs his love,
at night his song is with me—
a prayer to the God of my life. (Psalm 42:8)
This would almost fit on a Hallmark card! What a beautiful and comforting sentiment. But like a roller coaster, he shifts again.
I say to God my Rock,
“Why have you forgotten me?
Why must I go about mourning,
oppressed by the enemy?” (Psalm 42:9)
He acknowledges God as rock but feels forgotten by God. Have you ever felt forgotten by God? We need to acknowledge our emotions and express them constructively. Prayer is one way to do that. But our feelings are not always trustworthy. I love the honesty as he pours out his heart to God. We can be honest in prayer, too.
My bones suffer mortal agony
as my foes taunt me,
saying to me all day long,
“Where is your God?” (Psalm 42:10)
It’s not clear whether there is physical pain or if this is a metaphor, but those around him are no help, taunting him. We finally come to the end of this song, this prayer, this cry to the LORD.
Why, my soul, are you downcast?
Why so disturbed within me?
Put your hope in God,
for I will yet praise him,
my Savior and my God. (Psalm 42:11)
Author Lewis B. Smedes put it this way: Hope is to our spirits what oxygen is to our lungs. Lose hope and you die. They may not bury you for a while, but without hope you are dead inside. The only way to face the future is to fly straight into it on the wings of hope…hope is the energy of the soul. Hope is the power of tomorrow.
Who could use a little more hope? The key to hope, of course, is its object. You can hope for anything…a new car, a perfect spouse, a wonderful job, 80 degrees and sunny! In the business world, it has been said that hope is not a strategy…”I hope we start to make some sales so we don’t go bankrupt.”
But prayer is powerful. We worship the God of miracles. The stock market will fail, our relationships will fail, our physical bodies will fail, but when our hope is in the LORD, we can expect great things. They’re not always instant, and they’re not always the way we could plan them, but God can be trusted. He can handle whatever has you down today, whatever is weighting you down, whatever is causing fear, worry, or anxiety.
I’m preaching to myself!
So What?
As we conclude this series on the Psalms, we’ve read song lyrics about being rooted, the power of God as a mighty fortress. We saw Jesus portrayed vividly as the crimson worm centuries before his birth in Bethlehem. We examined the value of brokenness and repentance following sin, and were reminded the value of praise and the worthiness of God.
We all need food, water, and air, but when our world and emotions feel out of control, hope can always be found in God our rock. Hallelujah!
For extra credit, read the continuation of Psalm 42 in Psalm 43!