Psalm 42 cont.
“My soul is cast down within me, therefore I remember you from the land of Jordan and of Herman, from Mount Mizar.”
Are you cast down, beloved? Perhaps distressed at the current situation of the world, or maybe there are things going on in your life that worry you? Why should we worry? Suppose bad things may happen, suppose your house and all your possessions are taken away, have they taken away your Lord? Suppose the entire world goes down the tube, God is still faithful. He is unchanging, and we can rely upon His promises in the most dire of situations. God does not see evil being perpetrated and give up, rather, He strengthens those who call upon His Name, sending extra portions of comfort upon those who love Him. Perhaps you do not feel as if you can take comfort in the Lord, that His promises seem unfulfilled and He seems faithless. Beloved, this should not be! We know that the Lord is “faithful and true” to save, and surely He will rescue us, even if it be at the last day, His faithfulness endures.
For God to fail to save one of His children would be for Him to deny His very holiness, to break a solemn oath which He swore to all men. No no, He will not fail to save us, He will not fail to bring us comfort in the darkest of hours. Look to the saints who were executed for the Lord’s Name’s sake, were they distressed and worrying about their eternal salvation? Were they concerned about the death that they were about to endure? No! They knew the Lord would save them, and they took comfort in the fact. They could boldly approach their executioners, and several executioners were actually converted through seeing the bravery of these Godly men.
When the world comes to take your possessions, praise the Lord that you even had possessions in the first place. Do not lament that they were taken away, rather, celebrate that God allowed you to have them, even if it were for a brief time. There is praise and honor that can be brought to the Lord through any situation, and it surely is the devil who desires to get us down, wallowing in self-pity. When we are focused on ourselves, and bewailing the things that we either don’t have or have lost, surely that shifts our focus from praising the Name of the Lord, which is exactly what Satan wants. Certainly, in all things, we can examine the Word of the Lord and find His grace and mercy exhibited there, and then find something in our own lives, through every situation, in which we can give Him the glory. For the grace and mercy of the Lord knows no bounds, His promises are sure, and we can display implicit trust in all that He has promised.
“Deep calls to deep at the thunder of your cataracts; all your waves and your billows have gone over me. By day the Lord commands His steadfast love; and at night His song is with me.”
Surely, there will be tribulation in every man’s life. It may feel like the power of the ocean is washing over you, but what do the sons of Korah (who wrote this Psalm) do to deal with the pressures of this world? They follow the commands of the Lord, in which He exhibits His love, and sing a song of praise to His glorious Name! They do not let anything shake their faith in God, for surely there is nothing in this world that compares with the power and truthfulness of the Lord and His promises. “The Lord is my refuge, an ever present help in trouble,” and surely we can run to Him always, when the deepest darkness seems to surround us, He is present. “Even the darkness is as light to you,” for He illuminates even the most evil, the most morally destitute, in order to save His children. Look at the tortures that Christ went through in order that we might be saved from our wickedness! The Lord God of Hosts has demonstrated His wonderful love and grace for us in many and numerous ways, and surely we can trust in every word that He has to say. “Every good and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.” The Lord is unchanging, and surely the Lord is the embodiment of His promises.
As the Lord is, so be His promises. Unchanging, faithful, and we can rely upon them. “He will cover you with His fathers; under His wings you will find refuge; His faithfulness is a shield and rampart. You will not fear the terror of the night, nor the arrow that flies by day.” We need have no fear of anything in this world, for they are fleeting, pain is passing, and troubles only last until we are praising the Lord in glory. Why then should we care for them? Why should we care if we lose our possessions? They cannot take our salvation. Why should we care if someone injures us for the sake of the Name of Christ? We have been told that is a blessing from the Lord! Surely we should praise His Name in even poor circumstances and sing a song of glory when people persecute us for His Name’s sake!
Praise the Lord, therefore, in all that you do! Whether in good times or poor times, the Lord is still faithful. Whether you are prospering, or perhaps you are being persecuted, there is still glory in the Lord, and He deserves all honor, praise and worship! He is the King of Creation, the King of kings and Lord of lords, Everlasting Father, Almighty God, Adonai. How awesome is our Lord, how mighty is His right hand, His promises endure throughout all generations, and surely He is faithful to save us from all our iniquity! Praise the Lord, for He is Holy!
