Longing for Christ in Times of Difficulty

Introduction

Take a moment now, if you would, and think about the last time you were spiritually depressed or discouraged. Take just a few seconds now and think through that.

Some of you are recalling a previous experience; maybe a time that you felt trapped in some trial. Perhaps you recall a time of difficulty in the life of your family or your church. Others of you can, in this very moment, say, “I feel downtrodden now, and I’m struggling to find God in my situation.” Maybe you’re experiencing depression or anxiety. There might be a broken relationship that has caused you significant stress or grief. You might have family turmoil or be in the middle of dealing with a deep, cutting loss.

You aren’t alone in that.

I knew a student pastor recently who began struggling because of some deep turmoil at his church. Each day, he would wake up and go to his office at church wondering, “is there really any reason to continue this?” There was fighting all over the place within the congregation. The pastor, who he looked to for guidance continuously was under constant attack. Everything seemed to be in gridlock, and it didn’t seem as if any ministry would ever get done. Because of the constant battle and feelings of defeat, he began to feel hopeless.

I met a lady just yesterday while speaking at a church in Eastern North Carolina who met me, grabbed hold of my (sanitized) hand, and said, “I woke up this morning feeling depressed. I lost my dearest friend this week, and I feel crushed in every way.”

One more: I have a friend who was married two years ago. This week, he and his wife will be filing for divorce after a year of separation. The conversations consist mostly of “I just don’t understand,” with broken voices and tears mixed in.

In every last one of these situations, these brothers and sisters long deeply for an end to their despair. In our moments of darkness, it can seem difficult to find light. How do we cope in these moments, then? How do we begin to see the light?

Let’s take a look at Psalm 42-43.

Background

These two psalms form one song, which is a three stanza lament by a writer who is likely living in exile in Northern Palestine, separated from the temple in which he once worshipped and sung. Because of that separation, he is not experiencing the communion that he once did with God.

As we begin, take note that on the surface, one might assume that the psalmist’s despair comes primarily from the fact that he is now in exile and wants to be out, but that isn’t the fullest assessment of the story.

His despair comes from a strained communion with God. He cannot see and experience God like he once did as a product of his circumstance, and because of that, he laments.

In the same way, our circumstances that press down upon us and seem to cause us to live in a place of deep despair may seem to be the issue on the surface, but a deeper look would show us that this despair is derived from the distance we feel from God as a result of these places of exile and difficulty.

We long for God.

The writer uses the image of a deer needing water to refresh him and searching for it. In the same way, the writer longs deeply for God. This imagery is most appropriate, because the flowing stream is not only something that would be helpful and refreshing to the deer, but is vital and necessary for the deer to go on.

In times of difficulty, the curse of sin sometimes misdirects our longing.

The sheer difficulty of our circumstances sometimes places us at a vantage point at which we long primarily for an end to our situation. We long for some sort of earthly comfort, but this lament rightly directs our desire. When we understand that only God can offer the comfort we need, our longings shift in his direction.

This writer expresses the depth of his sorrow, too. In verse 3, we see that this writer can’t even eat because of his depression. Meanwhile, people question him in his despair, asking him where is God is? It is possible that they do not believe that his God is real. It is equally possible that they believe God has turned away from him.

In this deep, deep sorrow, the writer longs even more deeply for God.

We remember what God has done.

In verse 4, the writer remembers a time when the led a worshipful procession into the temple. He remembers a time when he felt incredibly close to God in hopes that this will bring him comfort.

Remembering what God has done brings hope, because it reminds us of what God can/will do.

In our times of hardship, we sometimes naturally think back to a brighter time - a time when things seemed more as they should. We recall times when we felt as though God were walking right next to us. We remember times when ministry was so evidently fruitful. We think back to days when different relationships were strong and edifying, and we see how God was in each and every one of those blessings. We are reminded of how good God is.

While remembering is good, it can also have other effects, as it did on this psalmist. Remembering past circumstances can bring painful reminders of what no longer is. We can remember the things above, and that remembrance can become a stark reminder that we aren’t currently in that place.

I remember being on a camping trip with my youth group one time when I was in high school. We’d gotten a site at Morrow Mountain State Park in late October. As the day approached, the weather forecast turned cold - really cold. As the night grew darker and later, the air temperature dropped quickly, and before long, we were experiencing temperatures colder than we’d ever experienced in October.

In the middle of the campsite was the fire pit. Due to a lack of rain and consistent winds, though, we weren’t allowed to burn a fire. So, on opposite sides of the fire pit sat two propane heaters. Around 1AM, many of us were filing out of our tents go and warm up. We formed lines at the heaters and would take turns warming ourselves up for about 30 seconds each. Then, we’d go back to the back of the line and wait for our turn again. Every time I got to the heater, I would relish in it. The warmth was what I needed and longed for, and every moment at the front of the line felt great.

But when I had to step to the back, it felt colder and colder every single time. That’s because each reminder of how good the warmth felt only magnified my awareness of just how bad the cold felt.

The same thing can happen as we remember. In fact, in his efforts to remember, the psalmist ends up in a place where he now believes that God has forgotten him according to verses 9-10. So, what else do we do, then?

We communicate with God.

As we move into Psalm 43, a song that began more introspectively now turns into a prayer to God.