Hope in God

INTRO

Hook: Speaker - object lesson. Careful listening - Garage cleaning day with our four children - emotions ran high - motivation? Sure, at first. Confusion? Absolutely - where did THIS come from? Frustration? Kids, could you please stop playing with the things I’m trying to throw away. And what we find is that, like any endeavour, if we are honest, even something as mundane as maintaining our homes and getting kids involved can run you through the full emotional gamut. At times the songs playing out of our little speaker matched the mood. At other times, it was pure comedy.

Book: Third psalm of our series - PS1 - Two paths, PS2 - One King, and today, messy internal anguish that makes you want to watch netflix and hide.

Look: But GOD doesn’t call us to hide. Doesn’t call you to hide. Doesn’t call me to hide. Back to the speaker - Life doesn’t always match up, but the Word speaks into that. Today we will see the Psalmist fight a discouraged heart with hope. A God-centered hope can withstand the pain of being human.

Took: Soul-level hope matters - We’ll see the Psalmist show us how to do three things -

Map: (1) Pour Out Your Soul, (2) Talk To Your Soul, and (3) Steady Your Soul

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PRAY

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BODY

1. Soul-level hope matters - so pour out your soul

Expression of our hearts is incredibly human. Psalm 42 shows us today that being “down” doesn’t mean being “out” - God can handle our hearts.

Explanation:

What verses do we see in Psalm 42 that show a “pouring out of the soul”?

V1-4 - The cries of a dry soul

What is a soul?

- The human soul is central to the personhood of a human being. As George MacDonald said, “You don’t have a soul. You are a Soul. You have a body.” In other words, personhood is not based on having a body. A soul is what is required.

- Matthew 11:29 tells us that we can turn to Jesus Christ to find rest for our souls

- It has been said that there are only two things that last: the Word of God (Mark 13:31) and the souls of men. This is because, like God’s Word, the soul is an imperishable thing.

v1-4 - The Cries of a dry soul

God, my soul is DESPERATE for YOU; God, my soul THIRSTS. God, animals are satisfied, but I AM not

v1 - As the dear longs for the water

This deer doesn’t know much, but it knows how to survive

v2 - I Thirst

I don’t know much, but I want to survive

I want the TRUTH - the LIVING GOD

Paul in Acts 17:22–23 “22 So Paul, standing before the council, addressed them as follows: “Men of Athens, I notice that you are very religious in every way, 23 for as I was walking along I saw your many shrines. And one of your altars had this inscription on it: ‘To an Unknown God.’ This God, whom you worship without knowing, is the one I’m telling you about.”

v3- I am weeping - I’ve lost my appetite

v4 - I remember - snd the good old days aren’t in sight right now

Illustration: This psalm is a bearing of the heart - think of those intense movie scenes when when the protagonist bears their soul in tears - they just can’t hold it together anymore. Will Smith.

Application: Even faithful believers can experience deep struggles. Are you spiritually dry because you are trapped trying to hold it all together? Not the psalmist… God’s blessing those who bring their mess to Him

Tran: As you pour out your soul, you’re going to need start to own some Godly perspective

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2. Soul-level hope matters - so talk to your soul

Thinking about your own thoughts is incredibly human. Psalm 42 shows the value in encouraging yourself by remembering what God has done - God sets the state for hope.

Explanation:

V5 and 11 - Question yourself

Ask the hard questions

He speaks directly to his soul, questioning why he is downcast and reminding himself to hope in God (verses 5 and 11)

V5 and 11 - Praise God amidst the questions

the refrain of this psalm is a deep question, but also a choosing of a heart posture

Illustration: Marriage - the ring, the promise, the memories, the history - if we were blown about, how would that go?

Application: Card: Pray and read - reading gives you the ammo to set yourself straight in your walk

Tran: So now that we’ve poured out and talked it out, the psalmist anchors his soul

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3. Soul-level hope matters - so steady your soul

Having a lasting hope satisfies the human desire for present and eternal stability. Psalm 42 shows the victory of God to redeem us, the broken ones - An eternal relationship with God is our big hope.

Explanation:

Lastly, the psalmist is shown to anchor true hope in following God and praising Him

v8 - Affirming God's Steadfast Love: He reassures himself of God's steadfast love and presence, even in the midst of turmoil (verse 8). This affirmation serves as a reminder of God's unchanging nature.

v1-2, Praying and Seeking God: Throughout the psalm, we are taught to continuously seek God through prayer. This demonstrates a reliance on God as the ultimate source of our hope and deliverance in time of need

Illustration: Back to the marriage analogy - you can’t just pour out your soul and talk it out - you have to put it into action.

Tran: Fight for a soul-level hope in your walk with God.

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CONCLUSION

Wrap it Up: How does this help with the pain of being human? We see that there is space to be honest - to pour out our soul. There is truth about God that can overcome things that otherwise would break our spirits. And then, we take that honest heart and steady truth, and we put it into use day by day as we pursue a steady walk with God