Distant From God
Praise On the Way to the Cross • Sermon • Submitted • Presented • 34:40
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· 5 viewsPsalm 13
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When you feel alone - like maybe God abandoned you
LLUST: Aloneness - I think of Noah - laughed at, mocked, out to sea (literally) due to no fault of his own
Sure, his family was with him…I can see him awake at night, out on this tiny floating box, the whole world was ocean - “What are we going to do?”
People didn’t listen to him, literally thousands of people he knew just died, he probably heard them screaming - utter despair
What could help?
But God remembered Noah…
God never “forgot” - He called Noah to mind, knowing everything
Noah was allowed to endure this time of potential despair
Noah felt alone; He wasn’t, yet that is how he felt…
Other examples - Joseph, Rachel, Hannah, Abraham with Lot...
READ - Psalm 13
ASIDE: In our culture, we have made depression as something you “have” instead of something you experience
“I have depression” >>> more accurate “I feel depressed”
Not minimizing this, but the world has no idea how to manage this experience
Also, there is more to it than just saying “read a bible verse, pray, and suck it up”
You can be surrounded by people, and feel alone…
Navigating Despair
Navigating Despair
Sense of complete loss
Context here - not a brief, sudden setback
This is feeling of prolonged struggle, what some would classify as depression
Nothing has gone right
The world is against me
What’s the use?
I give up…
Psalms like Psalm 13 - lament psalms, so genuine, real, honest
These are not polished prayers
These are “pouring out a heart” in a dark time
Unfiltered, not edited - complaints of frustration and distance
Maybe you have faced a lengthy bout of depression, distance from God
Maybe you are there now
Let’s look at a REAL option of dealing with this
This psalm breaks in down into three “phases”
1) Personalizing
1) Personalizing
This is often, usually, typically, our initial and primary response
VV 1-2 - Psalmist feels abandoned, even feeling that God is the cause of this trouble
Why me, God?
What did I do?
Where are you, God?
Have you forgotten about me, LORD?
What did I do to cause this?
How long?
Will this ever get better?
Our solution: What can I do? I need to figure this out. Really, what can I do?
You can do…nothing…on your own, that is
It’s understandable, believers do not want to feel distant from God
During times like these, common to sense…
Lack of apparent blessing
Dark thoughts
What happened? How did this happen? How did I get here? Nobody understands.
Uncontrollable emotions
These are good to recognize and acknowledge
Enemies, opposition will seem more numerous, more active, and “winning”
(Truth, enemy is always there)
This is not selfish, it’s just real and raw
The psalmist knows God, knows God values His name, knows God values His people…
2) Prayer
2) Prayer
This is where you turn the corner
VV 3-4
“Consider me, answer me, enlighten me…”
Maybe even a hint of “I’m not even sure You hear me, Lord…”
“…but I don’t know where else to turn.”
“I KNOW I should turn to you, I mean You have told me…”
He believes that God has hidden His face
“Show yourself!” (like You do for others)
Moses, believing God would take action, declared over the Red Sea - Ex 14:13
But Moses said to the people, “Do not fear! Stand by and see the salvation of the Lord which He will accomplish for you today…”
Joshua, Samuel…
REAL CONVERSATION
Prayer turns more genuine when you MEAN it
Not just when you have your routine prayer time
“God, I feel like I’m going to die if you don’t help me!”
“And if I die, God, my enemies will be happy. Is that what You want?”
Part of the life of faith is pain, loss, grief, disappointment
This psalmist is praying TO God; not running or moving away FROM God
Turns the corner by not giving up, not giving in
We have discussed God’s blessings, given as He sees fit
Relieved from troubles?
The inner peace shows in the outward expression
Experiencing anguish?
The inner turmoil shows in the dimness of eyes
Anguish is real, concerned about falling spiritually
“God, this load is too heavy”
Again - depression, anxiety - if “death” here is “falling spiritually”
THIS psalmist’s anxiety is directly tied to one thing - fear of his faith wavering
Losing confidence in God…
…Which would give enemies an easy win
“God, keep me in the fight!”
3) Promise (of God)
3) Promise (of God)
There is genuine faith here, there is no pretending
The only rescue is the mercy of God
And the psalmist’s trust in that
NOTE: God has not acted yet in this case, specifically
God has merely and simply remained GOOD
NOTE: The psalmist expresses trust
Not because God has taken away the trouble
God is merely known for mercy, deliverance, salvation
God has been good to him
Deliverance will come, soon, or later, but it will come
God will show up (He never left)
And the psalmist rejoices
The psalmist sings
Rejoices - “delights in” - decides to make up his mind to trust in God, or to continue to trust
Sings - praises, worships
Because God had dealt bountifully - generously given His grace - PERSONALLY
Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord!
God has given this psalmist breath - PRAISE GOD!
God has always been good to him, and that goodness will continue
And that goodness is not always measured in the present mood or state of mind
What keeps the psalmist going? What does he need?
He needs the assurance that God actually cares
He needs healing in his thoughts - anguish, self-pity
God’s enemies (which are the enemies of His people)…
Rejoice in the seeming absence of God
“Why would a good God allow…?”
My tears have been my food day and night, While they say to me all day long, “Where is your God?”
“Yeah, what will you do with that, faithful psalmist??”
The Lord will command His lovingkindness in the daytime; And His song will be with me in the night, A prayer to the God of my life.
Day and night, all the time - God will be right there with me, where He always is
Maybe this is the best promise to remember:
The Lord is near to the brokenhearted And saves those who are crushed in spirit.
That’s a promise, and the psalmist, despite present anguish, knows it
REMEMBER
God knows
In the Hebrew descending intensity (verses 1-2 are energetically written, verse 3-4 begin to settle down, and verse 5-6 express calmness, calm confidence
ILLUST: Picture a storm at sea, progressing to calm stillness
Rough waves - then continually lessening - then calm
(READ the psalm??)
I’m done, I quit, I can’t do this any more..
God, help me, hear me answer me…
I trust You, Lord
CHALLENGE
How can God calm you, right now?
He’s done it before
We’ve all experienced seasons of doubt, worry, anxious and dark thoughts
I’m talking about situations that you did not bring on yourself
This type of anguish is not your fault
It is understandable, to God
That you might feel alone, without His presence
He will also hear you, when you turn the corner and cry out
When you decide to trust Him
When you fall on your knees and beg Him for help
He will remind you of His goodness
And you can rejoice
And you can sing
I pray you never feel this despair, and yet, when you do
Don’t hold back - Cry out - Then rejoice!
REMINDER - God wins
and they cried out with a loud voice, saying, “How long, O Lord, holy and true, will You refrain from judging and avenging our blood on those who dwell on the earth?”
“And behold, I am coming quickly….
“Behold, I am coming quickly…..
The reply is our reply, the reply of the believer:
…Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.
