Talking to Your Soul
Help for the Downcast Soul
Psalms 42 and 43
Rev. Stephen C. Magee, Preaching, First Congregational Church, Merrimack, NH
Psalms 42 and 43
Rev. Stephen C. Magee, Preaching, First Congregational Church, Merrimack, NH
Psalm 42
Talking to your soul...
There are times when a worshiper needs to have a good long talk with his own soul. The mind and heart of even a very godly man still need plenty of correction and redirection. This addressing of the soul is an important companion to a life of communion with God. We need to tell our souls to remember what we have learned from the Word and to trust in God as we turn away from lies.
This need is not only for people that live far away from the presence of God who have not yet developed the best habits of devotion and obedience. It is also and especially for those who have a strong desire for the Lord and for heaven. The man who loves the Lord the most can easily become especially discouraged with his life under the sun. He wants to be with God. His soul is thirsty for the living God. The worshiper who lives on the periphery of the Lord's congregation fits in better with a worldly world, ...that is until misery strikes too close to his own heart.
For the man who has found the Lord to be a very present help in a time of trouble and who has discovered the truth of the kingdom of heaven and tasted some of the blessings of the life to come, his longing for the Lord becomes like the thirst of an animal that is looking for a flowing stream somewhere so that he will not die. He is not satisfied with vague feelings of the presence of God. He wants to go where God is. He says this: “When shall I come and appear before God? When can I see His face?”
This is not just a spiritual curiosity. Some people are interested in all kinds of spiritual things, much the same way as people are history buffs or others are always ready to hear what is going on in the world of sports or entertainment. Someone like that thinks that spiritual experiences are his life, but only the way that a hobby is life to a person who is very intent on it. No, the experience of the person who has some reason to intensely long for God and for heaven is different. He has tears. He grieves about it. Even the biggest sports fans are not saying that their tears have fed them day and night while they waited for opening day. But the true worshiper is waiting for his ultimate opening day in heaven, and he grieves. He longs to be with God where God is.
Some people find this intensity of longing for the Lord and for heaven to be very unattractive, and there is no doubt that many people are showy and annoying with their faith. Yet a strong desire for God's eternal purposes to be accomplished can hardly be sinful. It is virtuous longing. Yet the problem with even the best virtues in a world of evil is that sin clings to them. That's why we need to talk to our souls about this. Setting your heart on things above is a virtue. Giving in to faithless depression about your life on earth is not. This temptation to unbelief or despondency is made worse when there are people around you who do not understand what the big deal is, and who see this as something to laugh at. If they say to you all day long, “Where is your God,” how do you take that?
Keep on praying to God, but you also need to talk to your soul. You might think that good memories of God's blessing and favor will help you through a rough time. If someone has suffered a great loss or is just very low, eventually good memories may feel good, but not necessarily today. Good memories can hurt... “I was at the front of the line as we walked toward heaven. People were shouting with joy and singing praise. But now those days are no more, and I feel so low.” The good memory alone does not heal the wound. It may make it feel worse.
Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me?
You need a conversation with your soul. You need to be honest and say some things to your heart that only you can say. “Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me?” That's a good start. You admit the truth, and you wonder why. Of course, you probably know why. You don't like God's providence for you. If you are Job, you don't like the disrespect that people are showing you. You don't appreciate the presumption that your tragedy is a sign of secret sin. You are in pain with a very debilitating medical condition, your wealth has been stolen or destroyed, all your children are gone, you don't know why all this is happening, you hate your life, and you can't decide whether you want God to come near to you so that you could talk this out with Him, or go far away from you so that you can have peace. That is why Job, a man who loved God and loved heaven, was so downcast.
That all may sound like a very negative list to consider, but it is an honest answer to the question, “Why are you cast down, O my soul?” That is not a bad place to start, but it is a very dismal place to finish. Here's where you want to head: 1. Hope in God, and then 2. I shall again praise him, my salvation and my God.
1. Hope in God.
1. Hope in God. Job went as far as he could go in his honest reflections on his own life and the human condition, which is another way of talking about life in a world of death, or life where heaven has not yet fully arrived on earth. He needed a prophetic Word and a visit from the Almighty Himself to redirect him in a better way. When God comes at the end of the book, God talks about God. This is something that does not necessarily work if other people try to be God. When they talk about God, it may just be annoying. Either God must talk about God through His Word, or you need to have that serious talk with your own soul. “Soul, hope in God.” Be redirected.
2. I shall again praise Him, my salvation and my God.
2. I shall again praise him, my salvation (literally: the salvation of my face) and my God. Your face may need some salvation, but you don't want to wear a mask. You need help on the inside. You are headed toward the praise of God. Jesus faced trouble worse than Job to make this happen. He was brought low. A tsunami of divine justice broke on His sinless head. He felt abandoned by God, and His adversaries taunted Him. People who should have loved Him treated Him with the worst disrespect. He secured a place for you in the eternal praise of the Almighty. Because of Him, you will praise God again. Keep that in mind.
Psalm 43
Unhappy providences...
Is it sinful for a person to be dissatisfied with God's providence in his life? No, God is not satisfied with some of God's providence. For example, God is not satisfied with the persecution of His church.
Even though Christ has accomplished our redemption through His obedience and His atoning death, even though He is reigning already at the right hand of the Father, even though Jesus has all power and authority, we do not yet see everything in submission to God. The pathway of God's providence leads to the perfect Grand Finale. God will unite all things in Christ, things in heaven and things on earth (Ephesians 1:10). We are waiting for that Grand Finale to come at the return of Christ.
But today there are many providences that happen according to the unfailing decree of God, that will not be in perfect accord with His Law. For today, we still pray, “Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” When we see oppression, poverty, disease, death, and every evidence of sin and misery around us, we know that this is not the final chapter in the good plan of God. There are many actions that cry out to God for some better end. God was not happen with the murder of Abel. Abel's blood cried out to God from the earth. It demanded divine vindication. Every injustice must be made right or we have not yet reached the fulfillment of the Lord's glorious plan.
The worshiper of God who is hated and abused by men looks for that future better day. He may have a little bit of God's justice even now, but we are seeking more than that, and so is God. Deceitful and unjust men crucified Jesus. In the centuries before and after that key event of all human history, Israel and the church have faced unjust assaults from men and angels. Surely the Name of God's Son and the people who are His bride must one day be defended. Most of all, God must glorify His own holy Name.
The mind of Christ...
For now, though we experience deep mourning and may even feel as if we have been rejected by the Lord, we continue to take refuge in Him. Though our greatest hopes will only find their complete expression when all of God's good plans have been fulfilled, we still have immediate needs today. We are human beings, creatures with bodies that are suitable for the mortal world in which we now live. We need food, shelter, useful labor, the company of friends, hope for the next generation, health, peace, and so many other good gifts that come to us from our heavenly Father. Yet even if we seem to lack one or more of these blessings during some brief season in our journey toward the world of fullest joy, we can still rejoice in the Lord if we are able to have the mind of Christ.
The Apostle Paul had this mind. He faced sufferings beyond what we have experienced, but he said, “I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us” (Romans 8:18). His advice to the church is powerful in every age: “Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”
Send out Your light and Your truth...
We will only have this mind of Christ through the Word and Spirit of God. This is why the true worshiper urgently pleads with the Lord for divine light even more than any immediate improvement in his circumstances. If he is going to move further toward a vibrant hope in God, and a living awareness that he will soon praise God in a place of perfect light, then he must have the Word.
The Lord must send forth His light and truth from above. These will lead him away from a fascination with his disappointments, and toward the Lord God Almighty and a life of perfect worship and steadfast love. The light and truth of God will take him out of the disappointing spiral of downcast thinking. They move him on to the holy hill of God that people of faith have sought for centuries; not a place in Jerusalem, or a favorite church building, but a city that is above, a Paradise that will soon come down from on high as the new heavens and the new earth.
The Word of God will lead us to that place. It is a place of exceeding joy. There the blood of Christ speaks a better Word than the blood of Abel, a Word of forgiveness, restoration, and liberty. “Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me?” Hear the Word of light and truth. Hope in God. Hope in Him through the most severe affliction. You shall certainly praise Him forever. He is your salvation and your God.
False strategies for happiness... But what will you do when the worst happens?
This is the way to talk to your soul: “Soul, hope in God based on the work of Jesus Christ. Soul, the joy of heavenly worship is your destiny.” Of course, there are other alternatives that are popular. 1. Here's a guy with no arms and legs. He's happy. Why can't you be? 2. Think happy thoughts and all will be well. Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens... 3. Life is governed by Murphy's Law. Embrace negativity. You'll never be disappointed, and you will appear lighthearted and clever to others. 4. Pretend. A good mask in public can save you from unnecessary embarrassment. 5. Be right. It is more satisfying than being happy.
These methods will not see you through a truly serious trial. Jesus did not take the debt of your sin on the cross so that you could pursue happiness in any of these ways. His plan is the only healthy way. Take in the light and truth of His Word and have a serious conversation with your soul. “Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation and my God.”
Talking to your soul...
There are times when a worshiper needs to have a good long talk with his own soul. The mind and heart of even a very godly man still need plenty of correction and redirection. This addressing of the soul is an important companion to a life of communion with God. We need to tell our souls to remember what we have learned from the Word and to trust in God as we turn away from lies.
This need is not only for people that live far away from the presence of God who have not yet developed the best habits of devotion and obedience. It is also and especially for those who have a strong desire for the Lord and for heaven. The man who loves the Lord the most can easily become especially discouraged with his life under the sun. He wants to be with God. His soul is thirsty for the living God. The worshiper who lives on the periphery of the Lord's congregation fits in better with a worldly world, ...that is until misery strikes too close to his own heart.
For the man who has found the Lord to be a very present help in a time of trouble and who has discovered the truth of the kingdom of heaven and tasted some of the blessings of the life to come, his longing for the Lord becomes like the thirst of an animal that is looking for a flowing stream somewhere so that he will not die. He is not satisfied with vague feelings of the presence of God. He wants to go where God is. He says this: “When shall I come and appear before God? When can I see His face?”
This is not just a spiritual curiosity. Some people are interested in all kinds of spiritual things, much the same way as people are history buffs or others are always ready to hear what is going on in the world of sports or entertainment. Someone like that thinks that spiritual experiences are his life, but only the way that a hobby is life to a person who is very intent on it. No, the experience of the person who has some reason to intensely long for God and for heaven is different. He has tears. He grieves about it. Even the biggest sports fans are not saying that their tears have fed them day and night while they waited for opening day. But the true worshiper is waiting for his ultimate opening day in heaven, and he grieves. He longs to be with God where God is.
Some people find this intensity of longing for the Lord and for heaven to be very unattractive, and there is no doubt that many people are showy and annoying with their faith. Yet a strong desire for God's eternal purposes to be accomplished can hardly be sinful. It is virtuous longing. Yet the problem with even the best virtues in a world of evil is that sin clings to them. That's why we need to talk to our souls about this. Setting your heart on things above is a virtue. Giving in to faithless depression about your life on earth is not. This temptation to unbelief or despondency is made worse when there are people around you who do not understand what the big deal is, and who see this as something to laugh at. If they say to you all day long, “Where is your God,” how do you take that?
Keep on praying to God, but you also need to talk to your soul. You might think that good memories of God's blessing and favor will help you through a rough time. If someone has suffered a great loss or is just very low, eventually good memories may feel good, but not necessarily today. Good memories can hurt... “I was at the front of the line as we walked toward heaven. People were shouting with joy and singing praise. But now those days are no more, and I feel so low.” The good memory alone does not heal the wound. It may make it feel worse.
Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me?
You need a conversation with your soul. You need to be honest and say some things to your heart that only you can say. “Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me?” That's a good start. You admit the truth, and you wonder why. Of course, you probably know why. You don't like God's providence for you. If you are Job, you don't like the disrespect that people are showing you. You don't appreciate the presumption that your tragedy is a sign of secret sin. You are in pain with a very debilitating medical condition, your wealth has been stolen or destroyed, all your children are gone, you don't know why all this is happening, you hate your life, and you can't decide whether you want God to come near to you so that you could talk this out with Him, or go far away from you so that you can have peace. That is why Job, a man who loved God and loved heaven, was so downcast.
That all may sound like a very negative list to consider, but it is an honest answer to the question, “Why are you cast down, O my soul?” That is not a bad place to start, but it is a very dismal place to finish. Here's where you want to head: 1. Hope in God, and then 2. I shall again praise him, my salvation and my God.
1. Hope in God.
1. Hope in God. Job went as far as he could go in his honest reflections on his own life and the human condition, which is another way of talking about life in a world of death, or life where heaven has not yet fully arrived on earth. He needed a prophetic Word and a visit from the Almighty Himself to redirect him in a better way. When God comes at the end of the book, God talks about God. This is something that does not necessarily work if other people try to be God. When they talk about God, it may just be annoying. Either God must talk about God through His Word, or you need to have that serious talk with your own soul. “Soul, hope in God.” Be redirected.
2. I shall again praise Him, my salvation and my God.
2. I shall again praise him, my salvation (literally: the salvation of my face) and my God. Your face may need some salvation, but you don't want to wear a mask. You need help on the inside. You are headed toward the praise of God. Jesus faced trouble worse than Job to make this happen. He was brought low. A tsunami of divine justice broke on His sinless head. He felt abandoned by God, and His adversaries taunted Him. People who should have loved Him treated Him with the worst disrespect. He secured a place for you in the eternal praise of the Almighty. Because of Him, you will praise God again. Keep that in mind.
Psalm 43
Unhappy providences...
Is it sinful for a person to be dissatisfied with God's providence in his life? No, God is not satisfied with some of God's providence. For example, God is not satisfied with the persecution of His church.
Even though Christ has accomplished our redemption through His obedience and His atoning death, even though He is reigning already at the right hand of the Father, even though Jesus has all power and authority, we do not yet see everything in submission to God. The pathway of God's providence leads to the perfect Grand Finale. God will unite all things in Christ, things in heaven and things on earth (Ephesians 1:10). We are waiting for that Grand Finale to come at the return of Christ.
But today there are many providences that happen according to the unfailing decree of God, that will not be in perfect accord with His Law. For today, we still pray, “Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” When we see oppression, poverty, disease, death, and every evidence of sin and misery around us, we know that this is not the final chapter in the good plan of God. There are many actions that cry out to God for some better end. God was not happen with the murder of Abel. Abel's blood cried out to God from the earth. It demanded divine vindication. Every injustice must be made right or we have not yet reached the fulfillment of the Lord's glorious plan.
The worshiper of God who is hated and abused by men looks for that future better day. He may have a little bit of God's justice even now, but we are seeking more than that, and so is God. Deceitful and unjust men crucified Jesus. In the centuries before and after that key event of all human history, Israel and the church have faced unjust assaults from men and angels. Surely the Name of God's Son and the people who are His bride must one day be defended. Most of all, God must glorify His own holy Name.
The mind of Christ...
For now, though we experience deep mourning and may even feel as if we have been rejected by the Lord, we continue to take refuge in Him. Though our greatest hopes will only find their complete expression when all of God's good plans have been fulfilled, we still have immediate needs today. We are human beings, creatures with bodies that are suitable for the mortal world in which we now live. We need food, shelter, useful labor, the company of friends, hope for the next generation, health, peace, and so many other good gifts that come to us from our heavenly Father. Yet even if we seem to lack one or more of these blessings during some brief season in our journey toward the world of fullest joy, we can still rejoice in the Lord if we are able to have the mind of Christ.
The Apostle Paul had this mind. He faced sufferings beyond what we have experienced, but he said, “I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us” (Romans 8:18). His advice to the church is powerful in every age: “Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”
Send out Your light and Your truth...
We will only have this mind of Christ through the Word and Spirit of God. This is why the true worshiper urgently pleads with the Lord for divine light even more than any immediate improvement in his circumstances. If he is going to move further toward a vibrant hope in God, and a living awareness that he will soon praise God in a place of perfect light, then he must have the Word.
The Lord must send forth His light and truth from above. These will lead him away from a fascination with his disappointments, and toward the Lord God Almighty and a life of perfect worship and steadfast love. The light and truth of God will take him out of the disappointing spiral of downcast thinking. They move him on to the holy hill of God that people of faith have sought for centuries; not a place in Jerusalem, or a favorite church building, but a city that is above, a Paradise that will soon come down from on high as the new heavens and the new earth.
The Word of God will lead us to that place. It is a place of exceeding joy. There the blood of Christ speaks a better Word than the blood of Abel, a Word of forgiveness, restoration, and liberty. “Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me?” Hear the Word of light and truth. Hope in God. Hope in Him through the most severe affliction. You shall certainly praise Him forever. He is your salvation and your God.
False strategies for happiness... But what will you do when the worst happens?
This is the way to talk to your soul: “Soul, hope in God based on the work of Jesus Christ. Soul, the joy of heavenly worship is your destiny.” Of course, there are other alternatives that are popular. 1. Here's a guy with no arms and legs. He's happy. Why can't you be? 2. Think happy thoughts and all will be well. Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens... 3. Life is governed by Murphy's Law. Embrace negativity. You'll never be disappointed, and you will appear lighthearted and clever to others. 4. Pretend. A good mask in public can save you from unnecessary embarrassment. 5. Be right. It is more satisfying than being happy.
These methods will not see you through a truly serious trial. Jesus did not take the debt of your sin on the cross so that you could pursue happiness in any of these ways. His plan is the only healthy way. Take in the light and truth of His Word and have a serious conversation with your soul. “Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation and my God.”
posted by Pastor Magee at 5:43 PM
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