Blessing, Suffering, Yearning, and Distress

By: Dr. Dale Weckbacher

 

Text: Psalm 41-42

 

Psalm 42:11

Why are you cast down, O my soul?
And why are you disquieted within me?
Hope in God;
For I shall yet praise Him,
The help of my countenance and my God.

(NKJV)

 

To believe that becoming a believer in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior means a carefree life free from trouble is a deception and a lie. Even Jesus did not escape trouble in this world but overcame that trouble through His resurrection from the grave, something all believers in Christ will experience (1 Corinthians 15:51-52; John 16:33). The psalmists in these psalms also experienced struggles and suffering but had a deep yearning for God and experienced blessing with a hope in overcoming by trusting God.

 

David begins Psalm 41 by saying a man is blessed who considers the poor, with God delivering him in time of trouble (Psalm 41:1). The blessings this man will enjoy are preservation of life, blessings on the earth, deliverance from the will of his enemies, strength, and sustainment in illness (Psalm 41:2-3).

 

David then asks God to be merciful to him because he has sinned with his enemies speaking evil of him and wanting him to die (Psalm 41:4-5). Even when his enemies come to see him, they speak and spread lies, gathering iniquity upon themselves (Psalm 41:6). His enemies whisper against him, plotting his harm, saying he has an evil disease from which he will not get up from once lying down (Psalm 41:7-8). To make matters worse, even David’s familiar friend has joined his enemies (Psalm 41:9).

 

David then asks the Lord for mercy so he can repay his enemies (Psalm 41:10). God’s mercy is how David knows the Lord is pleased with him and why his enemies do not triumph over him (Psalm 41:11). As for himself, David knows the Lord will uphold him in his integrity, setting him before the Lord’s face forever (Psalm 41:12). The psalm concludes with David blessing the Lord God of Israel from everlasting to everlasting (Psalm 41:13).

 

Psalm 42 is a contemplation of the sons of Korah. It begins with the psalmist declaring his soul yearns for God like a deer panting for water, wondering when he will appear before God (Psalm 42:1-2). He has tears of anguish day and night, wondering where his God is (Psalm 42:3). These tears cause him to remember and pour out his soul, recalling the times when he attended the feasts in Jerusalem with the multitude, singing with a voice of joy and praise (Psalm 42:4).

 

After remembering these times of joy and praise the psalmist asks why his soul is cast down, reminding himself to place his hope in God (Psalm 42:5). He then tells the Lord he will remember Him because his soul is cast down (Psalm 42:6). Even though his soul is in deep distress he knows the Lord will command his lovingkindness in the daytime and give him a song of joy in the night (Psalm 42:7-8).

 

His prayer to God wonders why God has forgotten him, allowing him to continue mourning because of the oppression of his enemies (Psalm 42:9). Like the breaking of his bones is the reproach of his enemies while they continually ask him where his God is (Psalm 42:10). The psalmist then reminds himself to hope in God for relief from his cast down and disquieted soul and vows to continue praising the Lord (Psalm 42:11).

 

In Psalm 41, David sings of the blessing and suffering of the Godly. David knew that the nature of the fallen world in which he lived meant he had enemies who spoke evil against him and wanted him to die, with even a familiar friend turning against him (Psalm 41:9). Such is the nature of suffering for David, but despite this suffering, David cries out to the Lord for mercy, knowing God is pleased with him and upholds him (Psalm 41:10-12). This gives David hope despite his sufferings.

 

In Psalm 42, the sons of Korah sing of their yearning for God in the middle of distress. The sons of Korah have a deep yearning to draw closer in their relationship with God, comparing it to a thirsty deer panting for water. This yearning has resulted in a desire to appear before God and escape the troubles of the fallen world in which they live (Psalm 42:1-2). They recall the tears and anguish of their present life but find hope in remembering the joy and praise of accompanying the multitude to Jerusalem for the pilgrim feasts (Psalm 42:4). Remembering these times of basking in the presence of God with other believers causes them to wonder why their souls are downcast. Instead of wallowing in their troubles, they remember God is their rock and that they can have hope in Him (Psalm 42:11). The joy of the Lord is our strength (Nehemiah 8:10).

 

Living in a fallen world means there will be times of suffering (John 16:33) and blessings, for we are children of God (John 1:12). This means there will be times of distress in our lives, but as children of God, a yearning to be close to our heavenly Father will bring deliverance. Life in a fallen world brings suffering, but it also offers hope when we place our hope in God and offer Him praise (Psalm 42:11). While the Church needs to speak out against sin in the world, it must also offer hope of deliverance from sin through Jesus Christ. The Church must present truth with hope in the deliverance from sin through Jesus Christ, something everyone needs because all have sinned (Romans 3:23). What this world needs is a Church lifting up Jesus Christ (John 12:32).

 

If you are reading this and are discouraged by your circumstances, believing all is hopeless, I have good news for you, Jesus Christ was sent by God to give everyone eternal life (John 3:16). However, you must unwrap this gift to be able to enjoy it (Romans 10:9-10). If you would like to have hope by unwrapping this gift, I invite you to pray with me now.

 

Dear Lord Jesus, I know I have sinned (Romans 3:23) and know that the penalty for my sin is death (Romans 6:23).  I ask you to forgive me of my sin and cleanse me as you promise in your Word (1 John 1:9).  I believe you died, spent three days in the grave, and resurrected from the dead and now declare you Lord of my life.

 

If you just prayed, rest assured that God has totally forgiven you and that you are a child of God (2 Corinthians 5:21; John 1:12). Find a Church where the truth of the Bible is taught so you can learn more about the Lord. May God convict, challenge, and bless everyone reading this post.