You are listening to a message from Southwood Presbyterian Church in Huntsville, Alabama.
Our passion is to experience and express grace. Join us.
One of the joys of an interim period in the life of the church is that we get to have guests come
on occasion and feed us from God's Word and spell me and Chad or spell you from me and Chad,
however it is that that works out. I'm not sure which one it was.
It's a particular privilege to introduce you to pastors who have pastored me.
Jay is one of those. Jay is an Old Testament professor at Covenant Seminary in St. Louis.
As Chad and I both attended there and learned from him, some teachers teach, and that's wonderful.
Some shepherds you as you're developing in your own life and learning God's Word there.
Jay is one of those who's done that for us, has done that for me.
When one of our previous pastors, Jake Patton, and I were ordained here several years ago,
we invited Jay to come and preach that service. Many of you who were here will remember repeating
after him the words, will is not the Christ. So he also keeps me in my place, for which I'm
very grateful. I'm so excited to have Jay shepherd all of us this morning. I'm eager to hear with you.
Jay has asked me to read our passage this morning, which is Psalm 42.
This is the Word of God, Psalm 42.
As a deer pants for flowing streams, so pants my soul for you, O God. My soul thirsts for God,
for the living God. When shall I come and appear before God? My tears have been my food day and night,
while they say to me continually, where is your God? These things I remember as I pour out my soul.
How I would go with the throng and lead them in procession to the house of God, with glad shouts
and songs of praise, a multitude keeping festival. 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. My soul is cast
down within me. Therefore, I remember you from the land of Jordan and of Hermon, from Mount Mazar.
Deep calls to deep at the roar of your waterfalls. All your breakers and your waves have gone over me.
By day the Lord commands His steadfast love, and at night His song is with me, a prayer to the God
of my life. I say to God, my rock, why have you forgotten me? Why do I go mourning because of the
oppression of the enemy? As with a deadly wound in my bones, my adversaries taunt me, while they say to
me continually, where is your God? 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. Thus far, God's holy,
inerrant, and infallible word.
Well, good morning. Am I on? Good morning. Good morning. Thank you, Will. Thank you for your kind
words. One of the greatest joys and encouragements for me is to come and to see former students and
friends now involved in leading and shepherding God's word. It just, my heart is smiling very deeply
right now. When I was a young boy, maybe around 10 or 11 years old, there was a period of time where
my mom would try to help my brother and I get to sleep every night by playing a record.
And it struck me that some of you here might not know what a record is. So, last night I asked,
Will and Christy, you guys have a record. They didn't have any records. Chad and Annalise,
you guys have a record. They didn't have any records. But they tracked one down for me.
It was delivered this morning. I won't tell you who brought it, but the Romantics was the one
that they happened. This is not what my mother played to me, by the way, every night. But this is,
if you've never seen one, especially kids here, this is what a record looks like. And it kind of
works like a CD. And a CD is kind of like an MP3 on a coaster, right? By the way, it would spin around
and you'd put in the record player, it'd spin around and then it would play the songs. And one of the
songs that my mom used to play was called, As the Deer Pants for the Water. How many here know that song?
Let's just sing the first verse together, shall we? I'll start us off and then very quickly,
please drown out my voice. All right?
Go with the chorus if you know it.
You alone are my strength, my shield. To you alone may my spirit yield. You alone are my heart's
desire, and I long to worship. Actually, isn't that a beautiful song? Perfect.
song to play somebody to fall asleep. And you may have noticed it's based on Psalm 42.
I love that song. There's just one problem with it. It completely misses the mood of Psalm 42.
When you hear a song like that, if you were to picture in your mind what the person who is singing
or writing the song is feeling, what kind of thoughts come to your mind?
I mean, as I listen to a song like that, I think of somebody who is, they are by a bubbling brook.
It is sunny outside. They have just been reading their Bibles, and they feel so close to God.
Doesn't it feel that way? I mean, their hearts are full. They've just been feasting on some experience
of the Lord, and they just want more and more. That's how the song feels. If you noticed in Psalm 42,
the psalmist, the person who wrote the psalm, feels exactly the opposite.
The person who wrote Psalm 42 doesn't feel like they're having a mountaintop experience with God.
They feel like they're in the deepest, darkest valley.
They feel like they're in the deepest valley.
The person who wrote Psalm 42 doesn't feel like God is so close that you could touch Him.
They feel like God is a thousand miles away.
The person who wrote Psalm 42 doesn't have a heart that's feasting on God.
They have a heart that is drier than desert dust.
What's going on in Psalm 42 to lead a person to think and to feel that way?
What I'd like to do is walk through the psalm by just asking three questions of it.
You'll see it on the back of your bulletin.
The three questions are these.
What is the psalmist feeling?
Why is he feeling that way, and what does he do about it?
What is the psalmist feeling?
Why is he feeling that way, and what does he do about it?
First question, what is the psalmist feeling?
And you can answer this question in a couple different ways.
On the one hand, the psalmist is feeling deep emotional suffering.
Deep emotional suffering.
In fact, he gets at this a bunch of different ways.
Look at verse 3.
My tears have been my food.
In other words, this person is at a point of such despair and sadness
that they've lost their appetite.
And many of you know what this is like.
Years ago, I lost a nephew.
It was one of the most painful things I had ever experienced in my life.
And my sadness hijacked my hunger.
That's what the psalmist is experiencing.
No hunger.
No interest in food.
My tears have been my food.
Verse 3 says,
My tears have been my food day and night.
In other words, even when he lies down on his bed at night
and he closes his eyes,
the drumbeat of sorrow just keeps pounding.
And no matter how tightly he shuts his eyes,
the tears keep streaming through.
I mean, he just, he can't shut it off.
Verse 5.
Why are you downcast, O my soul?
The Bible uses this word in another passage to describe somebody
who has just learned that his mother has died.
Just learned it.
One of the most painful things that you can experience in life.
That's what the psalmist is experiencing.
Why are you downcast, O my soul?
Why are you in despair?
That's a word that's used to describe,
have you ever felt like your heart is turned inside out with grief?
It's like this bucking bronco that you can't wrestle to the ground.
You can't stop the sadness.
You can't stop the sorrow.
That's what the psalmist is feeling.
Deep emotional suffering.
And along with this suffering,
perhaps because of this suffering,
the psalmist also feels utterly alone.
Completely forsaken.
When he says in verse 1,
as the deer pants for the water brooks,
so my soul pants for you,
you know what he's describing here?
He's describing a drought.
He's describing a drought where there is no water to be found.
And we actually have elsewhere in the Bible a description of what a drought was like in Israel.
Jeremiah chapter 14, we read these words,
In other words,
the ground is cracked because there is no rain.
The farmers are dismayed.
Even the deer in the field deserts her newborn fawn because there is no grass.
In other words,
when there was a drought in Israel,
you got so desperate for just a drop of water
that even a mother deer would forsake her newborn
because she could think of nothing else
except getting some relief from her thirst.
It's a horrible thirst.
And the psalmist is saying,
Lord, I just want a drop,
just a drop of your presence
and of your comfort and of your love.
When I was 16 or 17 years old,
my family was in the midst of a really tough time.
It was just a year or two away from my parents separating.
And I remember one afternoon,
feeling the pain of that so keenly,
I went into my bedroom and I shut the door
and I literally fell on my knees
and I began to pray,
Oh, Lord.
Please help.
Please comfort me.
Please take away the pain.
And I wish I could tell you that
the ceiling of my bedroom parted
and this beam of sunshine came in.
But the heavens that day were silent.
I didn't feel a drop of comfort or relief.
And that's where the psalmist is.
What's he feeling?
Deep emotional suffering,
tears streaming down his face
and feeling utterly alone.
That's what he's feeling.
Well, why is he feeling that way?
Why is he feeling that way?
We get a hint of this in verses 9 and 10.
As we read these,
what you'll see is that
the psalmist is in the midst of some sort of trial,
some sort of suffering,
and he's got enemies around him
who are piling on,
who are pouring salt into the wound.
Verse 9,
I will say to God,
my rock,
why have you forgotten me?
Why do I go mourning
because of the oppression of the enemy?
As a shattering of my bones,
my adversaries revile me,
while they say to me all day long,
where is your God?
You see what's happening here.
He's in the midst of some sort of trial,
some sort of suffering.
He doesn't name what it is.
He doesn't tell us.
And you'll notice,
actually,
often as you're reading through the psalms,
they describe the trials pretty generally.
And I think the reason is
that by describing them generally,
it's an invitation for you
and for me
to be able to identify
because we can sort of,
it's almost like when you read about a trial,
the invitation is,
oh, and by the way,
insert your personal trial right here.
So we can really identify
with what's going on.
So we don't know what's going on,
but some trial,
and there are enemies around
who are saying this to him.
You claim to be
one of those followers of the Lord.
And he makes
all sorts of promises for you.
Doesn't he say
he's a God of steadfast love?
Doesn't he?
Doesn't he say
he's a God who's with you?
Doesn't he?
Doesn't he say
he cares for you
and loves you?
Doesn't he?
Well, those promises
don't line up with your life right now.
Where is your God?
Give it up.
It's all a sham.
None of it's real.
Some of us here
have experienced this,
do experience this,
with family
or friends
who aren't excited
about the fact
we've decided
to follow Jesus.
And when life
goes badly,
the whispers
start.
Oh, is this
what happens
when you become
a follower of Jesus?
Is this how
he cares for you?
For others of us,
it's not family
or friends
that whisper that to us.
It's our own hearts
that whisper that to us.
Even if we don't want them to,
they reflexively
in the midst of trial
can begin to say,
where is your God?
Look,
what you're experiencing
in life
doesn't seem to line up
with his promises.
What is a psalmist feeling?
Deep,
emotional,
suffering,
utterly alone.
Why is he feeling that way?
He's in the midst
of some sort of trial,
some sort of difficulty.
And he has people
around him
saying,
where is your God?
This doesn't line up.
Well,
what does he do about it?
The psalmist actually does,
as you go through here,
he does at least
four different things.
The first thing he does
is one of the most
simple
and yet one of the most important.
The first thing he does
is he keeps
talking to the Lord.
He keeps talking
to the Lord.
Psalm 42
is a prayer.
Verse 1,
As the deer pants
for the water,
so my soul pants
for you,
O God.
Verse 9,
I will say to God,
my rock,
why have you
forgotten me?
See,
he's praying
to God.
And the reason
he keeps
praying
to God,
let me put it
this way,
the danger
is not feeling
like God
is far away.
That's not the danger.
The danger
is not feeling
like God
is far away.
No,
the danger
is believing
your feeling
and acting
as though it's true.
That's the danger.
It's not feeling
that God
is far away,
it's believing
the feeling
and acting
as though it's true.
Because if you believe
that's true,
what are you going
to stop doing?
You're going
to stop
talking to God.
And once you
stop talking
to God,
what happens?
Relationship
with Him
becomes impossible.
When there's
no communication,
relationship
is impossible.
And so,
the psalmist
keeps
talking
to God.
He even
says things
to God
that you and I
might not always
feel comfortable
saying.
Why have you
forgotten me?
And depending
on who we are,
some of us
might say,
well now,
theologically,
of course,
I know God
hasn't forgotten
me and so I
shouldn't say
things like that.
Look,
God gives us
these prayers
in His Word
as model prayers.
If you're feeling
this way,
in His love
for you,
God's given
you words
that you can
use so
that you
keep
talking to God.
God.
That's the
first thing
the psalmist
does.
He keeps
talking
to God.
The second
thing he does,
he remembers
what is true
about the
past.
The second
thing the
psalmist
does is he
remembers
what is true
about the
past.
You see
this in
verse 4.
These things
I remember
and I pour
out my soul
within me
for I used
to go along
with the
throng
and lead
them in
procession
to the
house of
God
with the
voice of
joy and
thanksgiving.
A multitude
keeping
festival.
And you
can almost
see him.
He is
thinking back
to those
times when
he and
other
worshipers of
God would
go up to
Jerusalem,
the capital
of Israel.
And when
you went up
in the ancient
days,
you would
go up with
singing and
with dancing.
And I
mean,
it was a
joyful time.
And he's
remembering those
times where
he has sensed
the presence
of God,
when he has
known the
reality of
God,
when he has
experienced God
in the midst
of worshiping
with his
people,
he is remembering
those times
from the past
and he
realizes,
he recognizes
it is crucial
for him to do
so for this
reason.
When you and I
are in the
midst of
depression
and despair,
it begins to
feel like we're
put in this
cement
windowless
box.
There's a
wall behind
us that
cuts us
off from
any hope
from the
past.
Depression and
despair,
they put a
wall in
front of us
that cuts
us off
from any
hope
from the
future.
Depression and
despair,
they put walls
beside us so
that as we
look around
in the
present,
we can't
see any
glimpses of
hope.
And depression
and despair,
they put a
wall over
top so that
it feels like
our prayers
bounce off
the ceiling.
And where
do we end
up?
We end
up in
this cement
pillbox of
depression and
despair.
And so what
does the
psalmist do?
Do you know
what he's doing
here?
He's blowing
out the
back wall
so that the
light can come
back in.
He's remembering
what is true
from the
past in
terms of
his experience
with God.
Ski and I
have a friend,
I'll call him
Steve, and
years ago,
Steve called
us one day,
talked with us
on the phone,
shared with us.
He had been
praying for
decades that
his mom would
become a
Christian.
And he was
calling to let
us know that
a few weeks
before she
passed away,
she had
decided to
give her
life to
Jesus, to
become a
follower of
Jesus.
And he was
so thankful
to God for
hearing his
prayers.
And we
rejoiced with
him.
Four weeks
later, we
caught up with
Steve over
coffee.
And as we
talked, he
began to
share with
us about a
trial he was
going through.
He said,
for years,
I've prayed
that the
Lord would
provide a
wife.
And the
Lord hasn't
answered that
prayer.
And it's been
deeply painful
for me.
And the
longer he
talked, his
sadness
turned to
anger, until
he finally
looked at
us with
this face
of deep
hurt and
anger and
said, God
never hears
my prayers.
Now, his
pain was
very real.
And I
don't minimize
it in any
way whatsoever.
And in
that moment,
it seemed
that what he
needed most
was not any
correction, but
just for us to
listen and
to love and
to bear that
burden with
him.
But inside
my heart
was breaking
saying, oh
Steve,
remember.
Don't you
remember just
four weeks
ago?
God.
You see, the
psalmist, in
the midst of
his despair, he
keeps talking
to God, and
he remembers
what is true
about the
past.
There's a
third thing
the psalmist
does.
The third
thing is that
the psalmist
remembers what
is true about
the character of
God right now
in the present.
The psalmist
remembers what's
true about
God right now
in the
present.
And he
does that
so that it
can serve as
a touch
point of
reality for
him.
Let me
explain it
this way.
I have a
friend who's
a pilot,
flies small
planes.
And he's
told me, you
know, when
you're flying,
if it's
daytime and
good weather,
you know,
there's a lot
that you can
do just
flying by
sight.
You see
where the
horizon is,
you know if
you're headed
up or down,
you can look
out the side,
get a
sense of
your speed,
all that
kind of
thing.
But he
said if
it turns
dark,
or if
thick fog
rolls in,
then as a
pilot you
can experience
something that
they have a
name for,
they call it
spatial
disorientation.
And all of a
sudden you
lose your
bearings.
And when
you're in the
midst of this,
you can
actually feel
like your
plane is headed
up when
in reality
it is headed
straight for
the ground.
It's
incredibly
dangerous to
fly by your
feelings and
that moment.
And so of
course,
well why aren't
more planes
crashing into
the ground?
Well because
pilots know,
oh at that
moment what do
I need to do?
I need to look
at my
instrument panel.
The instrument
panel provides
that touch
point of
reality against
which to
check my
feelings.
See that's
what the
psalmist is
doing here.
You see this
in verse
8.
The Lord
will command
his loving
kindness,
steadfast love
in the
daytime,
his song
will be with
me in the
night.
You see what
he's doing?
He's reminding
himself of
what is true
about the
Lord.
This is a
God of
steadfast love.
In fact,
do you
remember?
This is not
the first time
in this psalm
we've heard
the words
day and
night.
Do you
remember where
the first time
was?
Verse 3,
my tears
have been
my food
when?
Day
and
night.
And what
does the
psalmist say
in verse 8?
The Lord
will command
his steadfast
love in
the day
time.
His song
will be
with me
in the
night.
And the
psalmist
is choosing
to live
his faith
not by
his feelings
but by
reminding
himself
what is
true about
the Lord
to provide
those touch
points of
reality in
the midst
of the
storm.
There's a
final thing
the psalmist
does.
You see it
in verse 5.
The
psalmist
remembers
God's
promises
for the
future.
Why are
you downcast
O my
soul?
Why have
you become
disturbed
within me?
Hope
in God
for I
shall
again
praise
him
the help
of his
presence.
You see
what he's
saying?
Soul.
What he's
doing here
actually he is
grabbing his
soul
by the
scruff
of the
neck
and saying
remember
have
hope
because the
God you
worship
is a
God
who
gives
hope.
You see
it again
at the
end of
the psalm.
He says
the exact
same words.
Why are
you downcast
O my
soul?
Why
disturbed
within me?
Hope
in God
I
shall
praise
him
the help
of my
countenance
and my
God.
You see
what he's
done
by this
point?
He's
blown
out
all
the
walls.
Remember
what's
true
about
the
past?
Blown
that
wall
out.
Remember
what's
true
about
God
in
the
present?
Blown
that
wall
out.
Remember
his
promises
for
the
future?
Blown
that
way.
He's
praying
to
God
that
wall
is
gone
too
so
that
the
light
can
stream
in.
Now
let me
ask.
Is it
easy to
do
these
kinds
of
things
in
the
midst
of
depression
and
despair?
No.
Now
how many
times does
he have
to grab
his soul
by the
scruff
of the
neck?
Two
different
times.
It's
not like
one and
done.
Right?
Verse
five,
okay,
psalm ends
here.
No.
In fact,
do you
notice
what happens
between
verses
eight and
nine?
Did
this
strike
you
on the
way
through?
Look
at
verse
eight.
The
Lord
will
command
his
loving
kindness
in the
daytime.
His
song
will
be
with
me
in
the
night.
A
prayer
to
the
God
of
my
life.
It
seems
as though
everything's
under
control.
Very
next
verse,
I
will
say
to
God
my
rock,
why
have
you
forgotten
me?
How
is
that
possible?
If
you've
experienced
deep
sadness
or
despair
or
depression,
you know
exactly
how
that's
possible.
Isn't
it
true in
the
midst
of
those
times
our
hearts
can
pinball
back
and
forth
a
dozen
times
a
day?
Isn't
it
true you
could
leave a
time of
prayer
feeling
the
peace
of
God
and
twenty
minutes
later
your
heart
begins
to
crumble
again?
That's
exactly
what the
psalmist
is
experiencing.
And
so
God
gives
him
words
to
use
just
for
times
like
that.
You know
in the
midst
of
those
times
sometimes
we
end up
being
harder
on
ourselves
than
God
is.
We
end up
being
harder
on
ourselves
than
God
is.
Sometimes
in
the
midst
of
those
times
we
say
to
ourselves
with
disgust
you
should
have
more
faith.
actually
what
the
Lord
does
here
is
he
says
let
me
give
you
words
to
use
when
you're
feeling
like
that
because
that's
something
that
people
often
experience
and
you
need
to
know
how
to
pray
in
the
midst
of
it.
If
this
is
where
the
psalmist
can
come
to
hope
has
the
last
word
hope
has
the
last
word
because
the
psalmist
knows
the
God
to
whom
I
pray
is
a
hope
giving
God
and
if
that's
true
for
the
psalmist
remember
he
writes
this
hundreds
of
years
before
Jesus
comes
hundreds
of
years
before
and
if
the
psalmist
in
the
midst
of
his
troubles
and
trials
not
even
knowing
about
Jesus
can
come
to
a
place
of
hope
because
he
knows
God
is
a
God
of
hope
how
much
more
can
we
today
we
have
something
the
psalmist
didn't
have
we
know
that
God
in
his
love
for
us
chose
to
come
into
the
brokenness
darkness
and
despair
in
human
flesh
in
Jesus
in
fact
do you
remember
that
when
Jesus
was
on
the
cross
one
of
the
things
he
prayed
was
this
my
God
my
God
finish
it
for
me
why
have
you
forsaken
me
he
knows
he
knows
what
the
person
of
psalm
42
has
gone
through
because
he's
experienced
it
and
experienced
it
even
at
a
level
you
and
I
can't
begin
to
imagine
which
means
if
you
are
where
the
person
of
psalm
42
was
if
you're
in
that
situation
you
can
have
the
greatest
hope
because
you're
not
alone
no
matter
what
you're
feeling
because
Jesus
knows
and he
cares
and he
loves
you
and he
is
a
shepherd
who's
ready
to
reach
down
and to
hold
and to
carry
you
so
who is
psalm
42
for
who's
it
written
for
it's
not
written
for
those
who
are
strong
in
faith
you're
of
course
welcome
to
pray
it
it's
not
written
for
those
who
feel
very
close
to
God
you're
of
course
welcome
to
pray
it
it's
written
for
those
who
are
very
weak
in
faith
in
the
midst
of
despair
who
feel
like
God
is
a
thousand
miles
away
it's
written
for
those
who
are
on
their
bedroom
floor
on
their
knees
with
tears
streaming
down
their
face
who
need
words
to
pray
that
keep
them
talking
to
God
words
to
pray
that
remind
them
what
is
true
from
the
past
words
to
pray
that
remind
them
what's
true
about
God
in
the
present
and
words
to
pray
that
remind
them
of
God's
promises
for
the
future
that's
who
Psalm 42
is
for
and
God
has
given
it
to
you
in
his
love
for
you
so
that
you
might
have
those
words
to
pray
let
me
pray
together
for
us
oh
Lord
truly
you
are
the
Lord
of
steadfast
love
I
pray
for us
today
I
pray
especially
for
those
of us
whose
hearts
are
downcast
or
in
despair
or
feeling
that
you
are
far
away
that
you
would
help
us
to
remember
what
is
true
and
would
the
truth
of
who
you
are
provide
those
touch
points
of
reality
to
help
us
in
the
midst
of
the
storm
oh
Lord
by
your
spirit
in
the
mercies
of
Jesus
encourage
and
help
and
heal
we
ask
in
his
name
amen
for
more
information
visit
us
online
at
southwood.org