Jim Peters

God Hasn’t Ignored You – So Just Keep Praising Him!

Posted on 19. Jan, 2010 by Jim Peters in Hearing God - Jim's Daily D

Psalm 42

Written by Korah’s descendants – For the Choir Director

 

¹ I[1] long for God just as a deer longs for water,. ² I[2] am thirsty for God, the living and powerful God[3].

When will I come and see God’s face[4]?

³ Day and night my tears have been my food.  All the time I say, “Where is God?”

⁴ I remember these (things) and pour out my life[5]:

I used to pass by the crowd and lead the procession[6] to God’s house.  (There was) a joyful noise of praise and (expressing) thanks as the crowd held the festival.

⁵ Why is my soul bowed down in grief?  Why are you troubled inside me?

Expectantly wait for God.  I will keep praising him.  Salvation[7] (comes from) God’s presence.

⁶ God, my soul is bowed down in grief inside me.  Therefore, I will remember you from the land of Jordan, (from the) mountains tops of Herman and from Mount Mizar[8].

⁷ The depths call out to the depths at the sound of your waterfalls.  All the breaking waves of the sea swept over me. ⁸ The Lord will command his goodness and kindness (to be with me) in the day and his song is with me at night – a prayer to the mighty God of my life.

⁹ I will say to Mighty God, my huge Rock, “Why have you ignored me?  Why do I go about gloomily (under) pressure from my enemy?

¹⁰ (Those who) are hostile to me taunt me (to the point of) shattering my bones.  All the time they say, “Where is your God?”

¹¹ Why is my soul bowed down in grief?  Why are you troubled inside me?

Expectantly wait for God.  I will keep praising him.  Salvation[9] (comes from) God’s presence.

 

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[1] & [2] “soul/life” [3] “el el” [4] “presence/face/before” [5] “pout out soul on the ground/against/according to” [6] “walk slowly and deliberately toward a common goal” [7] “jesh’ua” God is my salvation [8] “mizar” means small [9] “jesh’ua” God is my salvation

Application

This psalm was written by Korah’s descendants.  They were a family assigned as musicians and singers in the temple.  As a worship leader, and we all are, we need to hunger and thirst for God.

Just because I long for God and live for him doesn’t mean that everything will always go well.  It’s at the time when things aren’t going so well that I need to press into God and long for his presence.  On the other hand, when everything is going swimmingly, it’s so easy to drift away from God and into the things that I want.

Accordingly, whether things are good or bad, my one hunger must be for Father God and all he has for me.  He is near.  He never leaves me or forsakes me.  Even though everything within me feels like it’s impossible, I need to know that God is my help and my salvation.  The word for salvation here means salvation from God and is the name “Jesus” in the Greek.

Even though everything is coming down on me, the depths of my heart need to call to the depths of God’s heart.  He will command his goodness and kindness.  It’s a sure thing.  Goodness and kindness is coming as a command from God.  Things are not always going to be bad.  Goodness and kindness are on their way.

God hasn’t ignored me, I just have to keep praising and thanking him.

Prayer

Father, I praise you and thank you for your goodness and kindness to me.  You are faithful and I know you will provide for everything I need in life and for eternity.

Please help me to trust in you, to live for you and to always keep my eyes on you and my confidence in your promises.  Thank you that all your promises are “Yes’ and “It’s true” in Christ Jesus.

Fill me and help me to live only for you today.

IJN Amen

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