"Really Desiring God's Best" - a reflection on Psalm 42

How much do we want God?? Is it as much as we can get … and all the time? Or is it something less than this? That is the challenge I’m seeking to present. And we’re turning to Psalm 42 for some guidance and inspiration.

What grabs you about this psalm? What do you notice of interest??

Here’s what I notice:
· this psalm moves quickly from what might seem one extreme to the other – from desperation or depression on the one hand to complete confidence in God (based on previous experience) on the other; yet really proposes that the two extremes actually walk hand-in-hand; as we endure difficulties we develop a greater thirst for God and come to rely more upon God and want to know God better – whilst God enters the domain of our suffering and dwells there; so here is an interaction between an expression of real despair and the knowledge of a comforting divine presence
· this psalm doesn’t so much talk about a propositional God that we believe in on an intellectual level, but much more so reflects a “living” God (v.2) that we experience through personal encounter and relationship
· that sometimes we need to give ourselves a real talking to or undertake an assessment of where we’re at (v.5 & 11) – what could be termed an ‘internal audit’ … checking for where things just don’t add up correctly or where resources have been misapplied
· that the way forward through tough times is through an active memory of God’s faithfulness in the past (v.4 & 6)

Sometimes I think we just go through the motions in our relationship with God. I know this because sometimes I do the same thing – paying lip service to God whilst attending to our own agenda – big on words, short on serious action. Or, we give the outward appearance of being in good contact with God, but this doesn’t really match what’s happening on the inside. Many things are allowed to get in the way; when actually nothing should be allowed to get in between us and God; nothing should be allowed to get in the way of an open worshipful conversational constant relationship with God. In the busyness of life, including busy church life, it’s so easy to lose track of what stands as most important and the very source of our survival.

Going to church, contributing to the various tasks, saying the right words and putting on a credible performance does not equate to the depth of relationship referred to in Psalm 42. If we do have issues that block us from knowing God’s best, it would actually be better, rather than carrying on with a charade and continuing to struggle, if we were more honest about this, and were prepared to do an ‘internal audit’ of ourselves. What is it that is holding us back?? Is it a burden we are carrying? Is it a concern for the future or another person? This psalm shows that God is our only real way forward no matter what the need!

This psalmist really thirsted for God! Here we read of a desire to spiritually experience God that is likened to the desire for a drink when one is most thirsty. And this thirst has been made all the more prominent by certain difficult circumstances. Water is the source of life for animals like a “deer”. When such water is scarce, when the streams and pools have dried up, the desire for water becomes even greater (it truly becomes a matter of life and death).

In a ‘Daily Bread’ devotional back in June, Cindy Hess Kasper told the story of when she visited her sister in Mali, West Africa. During an afternoon of seeing the sights, the temperature had risen well above the old 100 degrees Fahrenheit (so probably in excess of 40 degrees Celsius). When Cindy asked her sister Kathy for a drink, Kathy confessed to forgetting to bring the (filtered) water along. As time progressed as her thirst grew more intense, Cathy started to wonder what it would be like to die of thirst. Finally they arrived at an embassy, and imagine how Cathy felt at the beautiful sight of a cool water dispenser. Cathy says, “I grabbed one of the tiny paper cups and filled it again and again”.

Now in the case of this psalmist it is clear that whatever was happening in his life was very troubling. In verse 3 we read of tears that have been the psalmist’s food, perhaps indicating a physical or mental condition where eating and working have become very difficult or impossible.

Yet, rather than allowing life’s trials to disrupt or destroy his trust in God, this psalmist has allowed such tragedy and disappointment to grow and develop his relationship with God. He has taken his intense thirst to the right source of refreshment. No matter what, this psalmist’s “hope” will always be found in God (verses 5b & 11b). This psalmist, whilst shedding tears over his loss, has faced ridicule from those who would throw his faith back in his face by saying, ‘where is your God now’ (verses 3 & 10), yet will not waver from his certainty that God resides in the midst of his suffering.

Whereas at times it seemed that God was even more quiet than usual, and the forces that opposed him were even greater, where it seems everyone is out to get him – this psalmist would not give in. Twice we read this psalmist giving himself a bit of a talking to (verse 5a and again in verse 11a) – “Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you disquieted within me”? It was time for a reality check! There was much more to this psalmist’s experience of life than just the current dilemmas. There were other more beneficial times in life to reflect upon. And as one is prepared to ask the hard questions, God will draw alongside to help bring the answers.

Now, it is true that unless we deliberately and actively seek God’s best for us, we are unlikely to get there by good luck or by accident. In Matthew 5:6 Jesus says, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled”. Putting this in other words – ‘It is those who are really desperate to seek God’s ways to reign in their lives, who will be ones who find fulfilment and live in a good place’. It is the ones who act as if their very lives depend upon it, and who see God as the only real source of refreshment and nutrient, that will get the results.

Those watching the football on the television can have no influence at all over what happens on the ground and whether their team wins. Even in the crowd at the game, one has very little impact on how well your team plays (although you might bring some influence over the umpiring). It is only those ones who have crossed the boundary line and fully entered the contest – the players – who can really influence the result.

We can sit at home in our lounge-room and bemoan life, or stay on the sidelines and wish things were better, or we can start to ask questions of ourselves and take positive steps toward obtaining God’s best for us. This will take the desire, the commitment and the courage to cross the boundary line and get into the game. Do we want to be filled to the brim with God?? Well just because that doesn’t sound too possible or realistic this side of heaven doesn’t mean we shouldn’t give it a go and see how far we get!

The strategy used by the writer of Psalm 42 was to “remember” (refer to verses 4 and 6). The active response of the psalmist in the face of his troubles was to “remember”. There were those joyous times when the psalmist led a huge crowd of people to the place of worshipping God in the midst of shouts and songs of thanksgiving to God for his goodness and provision (verse 4). Despite the inherent dangers in the world, there is the awesomeness of God’s creation to “remember” (verses 6-7) – the God who can create so impressively and brilliantly as this can surely help me overcome my difficulties.

As we have already alluded to, the result of this effective remembering was a renewed hope in God and the surety that his heart would again lift praise to God – “Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my help and my God” (verses 5b-6 and 11b). This God is real, personal and brings healing!! It is a good idea to keep a record of God’s blessings, so that we can recall them when most necessary. The “Message” translates verse 6 this way: “When my soul is in the dumps, I rehearse everything I know of you”.

We all can feel surrounded by doubters and scoffers at times, as they think they can point at us and our situation and decry the existence of a benevolent God; yet we can stand firm in our own surety because we have found God to be faithful in the past – there can be no other explanation for the answers to our prayers and the change in our circumstances than that God really cares for us, and is alive and active in the world. Those that ridicule us possibly think that God should provide an easy ride if he’s for real; but we know that life is not ever going to be plain-sailing this side of heaven, but rather is all about allowing God to journey with us through all the highs and lows.

In the “Man to Man” course currently being undertaken we read a statement connected to this concept of being ‘thirsty’ for God. It reads: “I am not prepared to go on living the way I am. I want to be changed. I want more than just to cope through the use of unhealthy behaviour patterns. I want to be truly human, truly whole; I want to be right within my whole being”. So, how might we get to this state of being?? We have talked about the importance of ‘remembering’, I will share just two further important actions.

(1) We should start to deal with some of the large and small issues in our lives that hold us back, that press us down, and cause us to feel oppressed and fearful. We should decide to not accept their power over us any longer and to take responsibility for rising above them. This might involve counselling, or participation in a particular course, or perhaps a confession to some trusted others – with a request for support and accountability. Prayer, especially prayer with others, will be our greatest resource in this.

There is one Bible verse that is the most threatening verse to so many Christians including myself, but has the most potential for healing you can find. Can anyone think what that verse might be? I have quoted it often, and ironically it comes from many people’s favourite biblical book!

James 5:16 reads: “Therefore confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another, so that you may be healed. The prayer of the righteous is powerful and effective.”

(2) We should start to worship God for all we are worth and with everything we have. We need to get over and beyond some of our inhibitions and embarrassment issues. We need to see past the temporal into the eternal. We don’t have to have it all together to wholly worship God … far from it … to throw ourselves into worshipping God is part of the cure. This is not just in a physical sense … what we do with our bodies in worship … but also disciplining and focussing our mind sufficiently to hear God’s voice and notice how God is answering our prayers. True worship is about our total mindset in life, and where our priorities lie.

The psalmist behind Psalm 42 thirsts not just for the idea of God, but ultimately for an experience of the “living” God (verse 2a). This is not the God we can put in a box and contain at our convenience; this is the God who will not rest until we (and all the rest of creation) have been filled with all the benefits that his Spirit can bring to us. This is a God of transformation and newness. And we remember that “hope” is only a good memory away!

Spiritual thirst cannot be quenched by the world, only by God. As we thirst for God, it will ultimately be Jesus who brings us the living water. Jesus said in John chapter four, “The water that I will give will become in them a spring of water gushing up to eternal life”. The Samaritan woman, whom Jesus was speaking with, came to realise that her own resources would never be enough, and that she would need a big dose of this living water from Jesus if she was to get her life right and make the most of it (John 4:4-42).

Can we allow Jesus to give us the only living water that can quench our growing thirst, and in turn seek to grow in God and worship in all Spirit and truth? Can we so much desire God’s best for us that we deal with anything that gets in the way?? Can we help one another and pray for one another so that we might all grow to maturity in Jesus Christ our Lord? Amen!