God’s Hope for Your Heart from Psalm 42
GOD IS YOUR HOPE FOR TOMORROW
As a deer longs for streams of water, so I long for You, God. I thirst for God, the living God. When can I come and appear before God? (Psalm 42:1-2, HCSB)
Longing and thirst are symptoms of lack. We do not long for things we are currently experiencing, but rather for things we do not have but wish we did.
The Psalmist is in anguish, feeling dry and disconnected from the source of life. This is not a cheap sentiment, but the heartfelt cry of a man whose prayers seem to go unanswered, whose reading of Scripture seems dry, and whose experience of God’s presence feels non-existent.
This is why he laments throughout the Psalm about all the ways he used to connect with God, and how now he finds himself depressed and feeling alone. The problem is that for him, the old paths to God’s presence just don’t seem to work anymore.
Have you ever been there?
Have you found yourself in that place where the things that once drew you close to God just don’t seem to have the same effect? Have you experienced a season where the heavens seem shut to your prayers, and your heart seems empty of His presence?
Don’t lose heart!
The Psalmist knows how he is feeling in the moment, but his faith carries him through. He knows the pain of his lack, but He also trusts the truth of God’s love. This is why he can write these words of hope confidently, even in a season of spiritual drought: The Lord will send His faithful love by day; His song will be with me in the night, a prayer to the God of my life. (Psalm 42:8, HCSB)
You may not feel like God is showering you with love right now, but He will.
You may not feel like God is drawing close to you just yet, but He will.
You may not feel like God has answered your prayers, but He will!
Don’t let your experience of this moment eclipse the truth that God has been faithful to His people for millennia, and He’s not about to quit now. Hold on to your faith, keep walking the path, and choose today to trust that refreshment is on the way, no matter how you feel right now. When you do, you’ll discover the hope that comes from this truth: God is your hope for tomorrow.
-Pastor Phillip
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