Psalms 42 & 43

This past Sunday we had the privilege of having Rev. G. Visscher from the CanRC seminary in Hamilton fill our pulpit. By Sunday evening we felt convicted, forgiven, encouraged and loved by God. I especially wanted to share some of Sunday afternoon's sermon, since it rang true in me.

The text for the sermon was Psalms 42 and 43. Originally these were most likely one Psalm, and so Rev. Visscher treated them as such. The theme for the sermon was "The Psalmist Longs for Complete Fellowship with the Living God".

1) The Downward Valley of His Profound Discouragement
The psalmist was discouraged, down in the dumps, comparing himself to a deer desparate for water. While the psalmist knows himself to be a sinner, that is not his particular problem in this psalm - there is not a word of guilt or confession. To be gloomy or downcast in itself is not sin. In fact, Jesus Himself felt this way at times, and expressed it in the gospels. That's why Hebrews 4:15-16 could be written - Jesus is our sympathetic High Priest. We should not be surprised if we experience discouragement in our lives if Jesus did.

2) The Upward Climb Toward His Renewed Hope
In this point, Rev. Visscher emphasized that it is a climb, it is not something that happens right away. In fact, this Psalm doesn't even say whether the psalmist "made it to the top", to the peak of joy and happiness. Yet, we can learn from what the psalmist did.

a) Stop looking at ourselves and start looking at God
- Even nature offers no comfort or joy to us if we are looking only at ourselves. Let nature be windows to see God - so Jesus did as He considered the lilies of the field.
- The psalmist actually "told himself off" in 42:11, changing his focus from himself and placing it on God
b) Stop looking at the past and start looking to the future
There is a right and a wrong way to use the past. If we consider the past, seeing and recounting God's blessings to us, that is an encouragement. But Rev. Visscher pointed out that far too often we do one of two things when we look at the past.
i) we may be wearing rose-coloured glasses, making the past look better than it was, and making it to be something that the present and future cannot compare to
ii) we may be wearing dark glasses, the past is dark and heavy, thus weighing us down and preventing us from looking and moving forward into the future.

Let us remember the doctrine of the forgiveness of sins - this breaks the chains of the past. Then, all our past and present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory we have in Christ. (Romans 8:18)

c) Stop searching for reasons and start resting on the promises of God
It is not necessarily wrong to ask why. Even Jesus did, on the cross - "My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?" However, it is not the reasons that help, it is the promises. Suppose that God were to answer our "why?" questions. With our frail finite minds, we could not comprehend the answers. It would be like giving a three-year old deep pyschological or scientific answers to their incessant "why?" questions. God is God, and he doesn't give us explanations, but He does give us promises Let us learn to live by the promises, and consider who the promises come from. Somone who is trustworthy and who loves you has made these promises. We don't and couldn't live by explanations, but we can live by the promises.

What follows are my thoughts, my summary of Rev. Visscher's sermon is finished.

This third point is what hit home for me. I think it is something I knew, that we all know. But having it stated so concisely, it was an eye-opener. And how often don't we ask why. Sometimes for smaller things - why did I forget to set my alarm today when I have a meeting, why is there a big traffic jam today when I just want to be home. Sometimes we ask why for bigger things, life changing things - why did my mom die when I was a teenager, why do I have cancer, why does my friend have cancer? It is not necessarily wrong to ask why. But we don't get any answers to our specific questions. And what we do have our God's promises to us. Consider just these few promises.

Hebrews 13:6 "I will never leave you nor forsake you"
John 6:37 "All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out."
Deuteronmy 33:25 "As your days, so shall your strength be"

Thanks be to God that He has given us these precious promises, and countless more. Let us go forward, friends, ever climbing upward in hope, until that great day when our faith shall be sight.

We've been greatly blessed this summer, while Pastor Vogel was on his sabbatical and then vacation. We had a number of different men fill our pulpit, and some excellent preaching. However, Pastor Vogel and his family are home again, and he will be preaching for the first time again on Sunday morning. We're glad to have him back!