Problems are for Solving

This morning in my time with God I read Psalm 43. This is a Psalm where David is down cast because of the persecution of the ungodly against him I thought it appropriate to some of what I’m facing right now. Below are my notes from my study this morning—I pray that you find this edifying today as you look to God.

Psalm 43:

1Vindicate me, O God, and defend my cause
against an ungodly people,
from the deceitful and unjust man
deliver me!

An amazing start to the day. Lord—DEFEND MY CAUSE! David’s words (if these are indeed David’s) are appropriate to what I am going through right now. Vindicate us, Lord, against the ungodly people who seek to harm us. Deliver us from the unjust! The judges who will make ungodly, unwise, illogical decisions—deliver us from them. The legislators who will sacrifice liberty to be reelected because they “made a difference”—deliver us from them.

2For you are the God in whom I take refuge;
why have you rejected me?
Why do I go about mourning
because of the oppression of the enemy?

Who is this God who we ask to help? The One True God! We take refuge in Him. Has He rejected us?

I think that David answers his own question here—God has not rejected him. David looks deeper into his own soul and sees that his feeling of rejections is his alone and so he asks “why?”

Why do we mourn the oppression of the enemy? Because it is hard. But does it mean that our God has rejected us? That we can no longer take refuge in Him? NO!

3Send out your light and your truth;
let them lead me;
let them bring me to your holy hill
and to your dwelling!
4Then I will go to the altar of God,
to God my exceeding joy,
and I will praise you with the lyre,
O God, my God.

This is beautiful poetry. David knows He needs his God—as do we. Please, Father, send out your light and your truth. Let the light and truth of God lead us to His dwelling.

In the Old Covenant God dwelled in the temple in Jerusalem—the place where worship took place day and night. In the New Covenant His dwelling place is with His people, among them, within their hearts.

God’s truth and light will lead us to WORSHIP.

God’s truth and light will lead us to SACRIFICE.

God’s truth and light will bring us into EXCEEDING JOY.

And we will praise Him with guitar and piano and voice and harp and song—we will praise Him for His truth and light as we worship from our souls.

Father, may I worship you this way today and every day—let not the oppression of the wicked drive me away from worship—but let Your truth and light drive me into it!

5Why are you cast down, O my soul,
and why are you in turmoil within me?

Again, “why?” “Why are you cast down, O my soul and why are you in turmoil within me?” David stands outside of himself and looks at his soul—looks at himself. Why? Why am I down cast? Because I do not follow God’s truth and light. Because I do not hope in Him alone—but in my own strength. Because I fear the enemy rather than fearing my Father who promises to take care of me.

Our God is bigger than our enemies. How often we forget that! And so we are cast down in turmoil on the inside. David knew that he needed God—and so he asks God, “why”

Hope in God; for I shall again praise him,
my salvation and my God.

And then he finishes with orders to himself. “Hope in God!” He has not yet followed truth and light into worship—but by faith he knows he will. “for I shall again praise Him.”

What doesn’t David say here?

He doesn’t say whether God did what he asked of Him. See how David’s fear of His enemies turns him to long for worship. To long for hope in God.

Is David’s praise dependent upon God’s fixing of the problem that has him so down in the dumps? NO! No way! David’s praise is because of who God is. David’s praise is because he can take refuge in God. David’s praise is because this is his God. Note that twice David refers to the Lord has “my God.”

He is our God too. He is our refuge and our strength (Ps. 46) and we can hope in Him as our salvation from eternal and temporal ills.

Let us today stop mourning because of the oppression of our enemies—and may God’s truth and light lead us into exceedingly joyful worship of our God.

How great is our God . . . sing with me . . . .

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