Psalms 42:1. As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God.
Hunted, hot, weary, thirsty! It must drink or die. You see the poor creature with the big tears in its eyes, with the sweat distilling from it, moving to and fro as it pants in its longing for the water, « even so does our soul long after God.» I must have my God. I must die if I have not God. It is the refrain of our hymn, « Give me Christ, or else I die.» It is not verbal. It is the soul that is panting. And when you grow very weary with the word and very heavy of heart--and when without any trouble you are led to see the emptiness of all carnal joys--then is the time when this panting comes.
Psalms 42:2. My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God: when shall I come and appear before God?
Not sacraments, not sermons, but God. Not books, not even prayers, but God. Three times he puts it; «for God»--«for the living God»--«that I may come and appear before God.» We could not pant after an idol or an image; but we do thirst after a living God that he would come to our living souls. We feel as if we could not live without the living God. Is it so with you? You shall have your desire. If for a while he delays, he must come at the cry of his children.
Psalms 42:3. My tears have been my meat day and night, while they continually say unto me, Where is thy God?
That is a very stinging question, and the enemy knows that and he takes care to put it often to the Christian.» «Where is thy God.» « My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?» That was the bitterest bitter in Christ's cup. When our adversaries think that we are altogether left, and to cry, «Where is thy God?» it is not wonderful that we begin to weep until our tears become the salt meat of every meal. «My tears have been my meat day and night, while they continually say unto me, Where is thy God?»
Psalms 42:4. When I remember these things, I pour out my soul in me:
You could not help it. It is not the best thing in the world. Meditation is always good, but it needs to be done in a wise way, else we may meditate ourselves into still deeper griefs. « I pour out my soul in me.»
Psalms 42:4. For I had gone with the multitude,
Here were memories which made him sorrowful, but yet made him hopeful.
Psalms 42:4. I went with them to the house of God,
Time was when I had many with me, when I did not stand alone,-when they were glad of my company, and I of theirs. I did not go the wrong way, but I went with them to the house of God; and the house of God is all the more delightful because of the many that go to it. «At once they sing, at once they pray They hear of heaven and learn the way.»
Psalms 42:4. With the voice of joy and praise, with a multitude that kept holy day.
And I felt it to be a true holiday. There are some that turn holy days into holidays. Blessed are they that turn holidays into holy days. It is indeed, a great solace for the heart to enjoy Christian fellowship, and to go with the many to the worship of God. But if he cannot--if his pathway is to be a lonely one, then let him still trust in God though I should not wonder that he has his grief.
Psalms 42:5. Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted in me?
As old Master Trapp says, «David tries to talk David out of the dumps; and he does well.» Here were two Davids--David that was down and David that was up, and David draws David up. So you, too, if you are a little low tonight, should let your better, godlier self talk to yourself.
Psalms 42:5. Hope thou in God:
If you cannot do anything else, yet hope. The New Zealanders call hope « the swimming thought,» because when everything else is drowned up comes hope at the top of the wave. You cannot drown hope.
Psalms 42:5. For I shall yet praise him for the help of his countenance.
Snatch from the altars of the future fire-brands with which to kindle the altar of today. « I shall yet praise him.» I am not always going to be low. I have hung the harp upon the willows, but I have not broken its strings. I shall take it down again. « I shall yet praise him for the help of his countenance.» If he does but look upon us, if he does but have pity upon us, let us be content with that, and abide his time.
Psalms 42:6. O my God, my soul is cast down within me:
Is it not a blessed thing that, even when he is down, he says, « Oh, my God»? He gets hold of his God. He has lost his company, but he has not lost his God. See-«my soul»--«my God.» His God is as much his as his soul is his. He puts them together-«my God»-«my soul.»
Psalms 42:6. Therefore will I remember thee from the land of Jordan, and of the Hermonites, from the hill Mizar.
Were these places where he was then wandering? He would remember God wherever he was. He would remember happier days, seasons long past when he did walk in fellowship with God. So let us remember how he kept his tryst with us in former days of sorrow,-how he manifested himself unto us as he does not to the world. He will do the same now. Let us be of good courage.
Psalms 42:7. Deep calleth unto deep at the noise of thy waterspouts; all thy waves and thy billows are gone over me.
They are God's waves and God's billows; so he will not mind them. Our Father rules the stormiest deeps, and the noisiest depths of the soul only speak as he permits them. Be of good cheer.
Psalms 42:8-9. Yet the LORD will command his lovingkindness in the daytime, and in the night his song shall be with me, and my prayer unto the God of my life. I will say unto God my rock, Why hast thou forgotten me? why go I mourning because of the oppression of the enemy?
He had tried his «whys» on himself. Now he comes with his «whys» to his God, and God will answer him. Our Father permits his children to plead with him. You are permitted to say, «O God, show me wherefore thou contendest with me;» and he will be pleased to let you see the reason, or, if not, to give you faith enough to be satisfied without a reason.
Psalms 42:10. As with a sword in my bones, mine enemies reproach me; while they say daily unto me, Where is thy God?
Rather monotonous this. «Where is thy God?» is all they can say. They are rather short of wit when they must always hang on to the same old taunt. If ever you hear of a new heresy, it is only an old heresy with a new soul put to it.
Psalms 42:11. Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me? hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God.
This exposition consisted of readings from Matthew 15:1.; and Psalms 42:1.