A Ray of Hope

‘Do you not know what I and my fathers have done to all the peoples of the lands? Were the gods of the nations of the lands able at all to deliver their land from my hand? ‘Who was there among all the gods of those nations which my fathers utterly destroyed who could deliver his people out of my hand, that your God should be able to deliver you from my hand?

Since Babylon captured Israel and took them away in captivity, it would be construed that Israel’s God was weak and a deserter, not able to protect His own people.

Where is your God when you need Him most?

He has survived on his tears both day and night

It’s so bad he is crying all day and night

Tears and Knees - Thang’s word...

He remembers the “good ole days”, the glory years

Not only is he homesick, he feels useless.

His “job”, his purpose is gone - his identity. It’s why retirement is so hard on people.

went along with the crowds

lead them in procession to the temple

praising God in joyful song

festivals of God

Gideon...

Judges 6:12–14 (NASB95)

The angel of the Lord appeared to (Gideon) and said to him, “The Lord is with you, O valiant warrior.” Then Gideon said to him, “O my lord, if the Lord is with us, why then has all this happened to us? And where are all His miracles which our fathers told us about, saying, ‘Did not the Lord bring us up from Egypt?’ But now the Lord has abandoned us and given us into the hand of Midian.” The Lord looked at him and said, “Go in this your strength and deliver Israel from the hand of Midian. Have I not sent you?”

The Solution(42:5)

Confess your present experience/state of mind.

Getting so bad he is despairing – a life that is broken within; downcast

Getting so bad he is disturbed – a state of anxiety and distress; restlessness of the human heart.

God is just distant enough to get us to feel what it’s like without Him. So that we’ll know we would rather be where He is.

Hope In God

There’s a little bit of self-talk here. With the lack of experiential evidence, faith kicks in.

In the absence of the voice of God, faith must speak.

Let your mind speak to your emotions, rather than the emotions dictating to your mind.

Talking to ourselves instead of allowing the circumstances to talk to us. Some call this preaching to yourself.

Instead of focusing on the problem, focus on the solution - God.

Instead of giving in to his depression, he wrestles through it. He takes action.

Griefshare - lean into your grief.

Don’t doubt in the dark what you know to be true in the light.

Hope in essence is waiting for God to act. There is a spirit of expectancy (faith).

Isaiah 40:28–31 (NASB95)

Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth Does not become weary or tired. His understanding is inscrutable. He gives strength to the weary, And to him who lacks might He increases power. Though youths grow weary and tired, And vigorous young men stumble badly, Yet those who wait for the Lord Will gain new strength; They will mount up with wings like eagles, They will run and not get tired, They will walk and not become weary.

We cry out to God and God will find us in the midst of our pain

God is just distant enough to get us to come running to Him.

I Shall praise Him again! Hope

I Shall experience the help/salvation of God’s presence. Hope

The Help of His Presence - Remember: “The victories of my God’s presence.”

God is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

He has done it before and He will do it again. “He has done great things”

Remember God’s song will be with you in the night. (vs. 8)

He sings over you...

Zephaniah 3:17 (NKJV)

The Lord your God in your midst, The Mighty One, will save; He will rejoice over you with gladness, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing.”

String theory

Colossians 1:17 (NASB95)

He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.

Genesis 1:3 (NASB95)

Then God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light.

https://www.britannica.com/science/string-theory/images-videos

God created the world and all that is in it, how? By his voice. The words out of his mouth.

Those words carried power…vibrations, tone, like the plucking of a string.

Aslan in the Magician’s Nephew created Narnia through song

Praising God even in the midst of difficulty.

Hebrews 13:15–16 (NASB95)

Through Him then, let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that give thanks to His name. And do not neglect doing good and sharing, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.

There is something powerful in spoken words put to music especially when crying out to God in times of distress.

The mention of the lyre before the altar of God (43:4) suggests what’s called a sacrifice of praise. A praise offering.

Hope, Joy, and peace are often brought to us through a sacrifice of praise.

This is significant because the authors of this Psalm are the sons of Korah. They were Levites who were employed in the performance of the temple music.

2 Chronicles 20:17–19 (NASB95)

‘You need not fight in this battle; station yourselves, stand and see the salvation of the Lord on your behalf, O Judah and Jerusalem.’ Do not fear or be dismayed; tomorrow go out to face them, for the Lord is with you.” Jehoshaphat bowed his head with his face to the ground, and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem fell down before the Lord, worshiping the Lord. The Levites, from the sons of the Kohathites and of the sons of the Korahites, stood up to praise the Lord God of Israel, with a very loud voice.

When you’re feeling homesick, useless, depressed, in the midst of overwhelming trials and you feel like God is a million miles away…

Remember who God is and what He has done in the past and offer a sacrifice of praise in faith that He will be faithful to deliver you from it all.

Hope is expressed in seeking God’s presence, remembering the acts of God’s love.

And this is best done through song. Tears and knees. Sunday night prayer and praise November 13th.