Hope in Troubled Times

Psalm 42 - As the deer   

These days we use the word “Hope” in such a different way than most of the Bible uses it.  We say, “I hope this will happen, or I hope I feel better tomorrow, or I hope we have asparagus for dinner” – I never hope that – but you see what I mean.

We use the word hope in exchange for the word “wish.”  But hope is defined in the dictionary as “looking forward with desire and considerable confidence.  Not just desire, but confidence as well.

God is our hope.  We have confidence that, with him in charge, things will always turn out for the best (not always as we wish – but for the best – God’s best.)

Hope is trusting that God means what he says.

There are many verses in the Bible that speak of hope. But Psalm 42 really spoke to me. It’s possible that the writer of that Psalm was talking for King David, or maybe himself, when he wrote -

As the deer pants for streams of water,

so my soul pants for you, my God.

My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.

When can I go and meet with God?

My tears have been my food day and night,

“ My soul is downcast within me;

Why must I go about mourning, oppressed by the enemy?”

My bones suffer mortal agony as my foes taunt me,

saying to me all day long “Where is your God?”

It sounds like this person was pretty miserable, doesn’t it?  His enemies oppressed him.  His body ached and he cried out to God.  As I was reading this Psalm, I thought – but I don’t have foes (enemies.)  I’m not in the same boat as this person.  And yes, I don’t have anyone trying to kill me or chasing me through the desert, but I do have things in my life that haunt me and cause me pain.

But I find that guilt, boredom, loneliness, weariness and worry – are all my enemies.  They try to destroy my faith in God. 

The writer praises God, calling him my Savior and my God and he says, “put your hope in God.” And then at the same time he says, “I’m downcast – I hurt.”  But the strange thing is that he also says to God,

“Because I’m downcast, therefore I’ll remember you.”

That’s different, isn’t it?  Sometimes when we’re downcast, we forget God.  But the writer says that’s WHY he remembers God – because he’s downcast.

And then I read something great – something amazing in that Psalm - the writer tells us that God sings to him of love.

 “By day the Lord directs his love,  at night his song is with me—“

God directs his love by day and sings His song at night.  Have you ever thought about that - God directing His love toward you, or singing you to sleep?  I hadn’t.

As we go on in Psalm 42 -- I love that the writer doesn’t pretend everything is okay.  He is honest with God and we need to be as well.  He asks God,

 “Why have you forgotten me?

But even with the downcast spirit, even with the question of “why have you forgotten me?”  He says he knows where his hope is and he praises God for it. In Verse 11 he says,

“Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God.”

We can’t control most things in this life – but there is absolutely one thing that we can control and that’s where we put our trust and find our hope.

So when we look at it – we can say.  I have confidence in God.  Any confidence, or hope has to have a cause and God is the cause.

Sunday we sang the song and the words just sang out of my heart.  I changed the words a bit because it’s what I heard.

Be still, my soul;

the Lord is on your side;

Bear patiently the cross of grief or pain;

Leave it to God to order and provide;

In every change He faithful will remain.

Be still, my soul;

your God does undertake to guide the future as He has the past.

Your hope, your confidence, let nothing shake;

All that’s mysterious, will be bright at last.

Be still, my soul;

the waves and the winds still know His voice. The one who ruled them while He dwelt below.

Romans 15:4

For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope.”