Scripture: Psalm 42 and 43
I. When you lose your joy, remember what God has done in the past.
A. The singer, one of the Sons of Korah, wanted to be in the house of God to worship God (Psalm 42:4). He wanted to be in Jerusalem. But he was far from Jerusalem. He was at Mount Hermon in the far north of Israel. And the singer of these Psalms had some enemies (Psalm 42:3, 9, 10). Because of these circumstances, the singer was depressed. Three times the singer sings the same chorus in his song: “Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me?”
B. How did the singer get his joy back when he was down? We read in Psalm 42:6, “My soul is cast down within me; therefore I remember you.” He remembered worshiping God in corporate worship with God’s people at one of the three yearly feasts of the Jews. And that experience of worship for who God is and what He has done was incredibly satisfying to the singer.
II. When you lose your joy, recognize God’s love for you in the present.
A. Knowing the truth about God has neither changed his circumstances nor lifted him up from being down. His soul was still cast down (Psalm 42:6). It’s like the singer is saying, “I know it’s foolish to be down in light of who you are, God. But I am down!” But he keeps on praying until he gets his joy back. Persist in prayer.
B. The singer was terrified by the waterfalls he saw (Psalm 42:7). He felt like he was going over the waterfall since his soul was so churned up within him. He felt like he was drowning. What did the psalmist do in the present to get his joy back? Psalm 42:8, “By day the LORD commands his steadfast love, and at night his song is with me, a prayer to the God of my life.” God has steadfast love for us. Even in the midst of troubles, God still loves you. We can still praise Him.
III. When you lose your joy, wait expectantly for God to give you joy in the future.
A. The singer’s future had hope. “Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation and my God.” He prays for vindication (Psalm 43:1) and for God to send His light and truth (Psalm 43:3). The prayers are answered in Jesus. John 8:12, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” John 14:6: “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” When Jesus came to earth, He prayed these psalms. Matthew 26:38: “My soul is very sorrowful, even to death; remain here, and watch with me.” John 12:27: “Now is my soul troubled. And what shall I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour’? But for this purpose I have come to this hour.”
Application:
Keep praying when you lose your joy. Expect God to save you and answer your prayer.
Sources:
The book of Psalms
Commentaries by Allen Ross, James Hamilton Jr., J.A. Motyer, Christopher Ash & Gerald Wilson
Sermon Discussion Questions
1) Which of the emotions in Psalms 42 and 43 do you find most familiar in your life?
2) What difference does it make to you that Jesus echoed these prayers and songs in His own life?
3) How could these psalms help you the next time your soul is down?