Where is your God?

Intro-

- I love the psalms for many reasons, but one is the colorful imagery that they use to help us understand life

- Illustration- waves- beaten down by the power of the ocean

- Sometimes we feel like that in life

- This is how David felt

o In the desert, on the run from Saul

o In despair, unable to be in God’s presence in the temple and worship him

- The world today

o We face trials and difficulties

o But we can also be driven to despair by what we see in the world around us

§ More and more we see our culture drift farther away from God

o How are we as Christians to deal with this?

- In a world full of difficulties and trials, in a world that wants little to do with our God, we must desperately seek His presence and place our ultimate hope in the salvation that he so graciously gives to us.

Read Psalm 42:1-4

Long for God’s Presence

A. Our longing for God should be as important to us as life itself- Illustration of a deer desperately searching for water

1. How often do we simply make God a part of our lives?

2. This puts our priorities into perspective

3. The animal’s need for water to sustain its life gives us a fitting picture for a souls need of the living God, the source of spiritual life

a. The soul, our innermost being- we ought to desire God with every part of our being

4. This longing brings David to tears and causes him to look back at the moments when he worshipped God with others in the temple

a. Illustration- missing church during Covid

- In contrast to David’s sincere desire to be with God, we see a world of those who have no need of him- Where is your God?

B. We live in a world that has no need of God

1. Rarely do we see this desire for truth and righteousness, a desire to know and worship God

2. Desert- David was in a desert away from the temple, the presence of God

a. Our world today seems like a spiritual desert and if we are not careful, we can get drawn into it

b. Jer. 14:1-7 drought in Jerusalem because of their rebellion against God

(1) This is the word of the Lordthat came to Jeremiah concerning the drought: 2 Judah mourns; her city gates languish. Her people are on the ground in mourning; Jerusalem’s cry rises up. 3 Their nobles send their servants for water. They go to the cisterns; they find no water; their containers return empty. They are ashamed and humiliated; they cover their heads. 4 The ground is cracked since no rain has fallen on the land. The farmers are ashamed; they cover their heads. 5 Even the doe in the field gives birth and abandons her fawn since there is no grass. 6 Wild donkeys stand on the barren heights panting for air like jackals. Their eyes fail because there are no green plants. 7 Though our iniquities testify against us, Lord, act for your name’s sake. Indeed, our rebellions are many; we have sinned against you.

- Being away from the temple and the worship of God, and seeing the state of the world around him drove David into despair

Recalibrate Our Thinking (6-10)

A. Our flesh vs. the Spirit (What we feel vs. what we know)

1. David continually fought against his flesh, yet we see him continually coming back to what he knew to be true

2. As Christians, we cannot allow our lives to be ruled by our emotions

B. The trials of life often beat down on us, overwhelming us (7)

1. The streams of v. 1 turn to torrents in v. 7

2. “The soul of man serves the purpose, as it were, of a workshop to Satan in which to forge 1000 methods of despair.” John Calvin

3. God’s sovereignty- These are trials we face, but also consequences of our own sin

a. “Your waterfalls, your breakers, your billows”

b. God will make it clear if there are things in our life that are bringing about consequences- the problem comes when ignore his leading

c. Hebrews- Despise not the chastening of Lord

d. So often we see carless, reckless living

e. God’s wrath- fear of the Lord

4. But the focus is on the love, joy, and salvation that God brings when we turn to him in the midst of our trouble

C. Even in the midst of trials, praise and prayer continue (v.8-10)

1. There is no easing of distress, but David’s emotions now have the background of strong convictions.

2. Some of David's deepest struggles were not his circumstances, but that others were attacking God's name. This is what grieved him.

a. 2 Corinthians 7:10- For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, but worldly grief produces death.

b. We see the same thing in the world today- does in grieve us- crush our bones?

(1) The world today says, “we can set our own rules about what is right and wrong. We can set our own rules about our identity. We can explain things our way. We don't need God.”

(2) They reduced him down too an unnecessary crutch for people who refused to live in reality

(3) They cry out, “Where is your God”- you can almost hear it in a mocking voice

3. But in these moments when the world around him is in chaos, David rests in the faithful love of God

4. The prayer mentioned in v. 8 is not a prayer of a sorrowful, defeated man, but rather a prayer of delight in the very real presence of God

a. Despair leads to meditation on God's promises. Meditation leads to prayer. Prayer leads to assurance of God's presence. God's presence leads to a joyful heart.

Hope in Our Salvation (5, 11)

A. The hope of salvation- literally “for the helps (or salvations) of his countenance”

1. In these times we must simply look to God

a. Our eyes fixed on him

2. The presence of God

a. David longed to be in the presence of God- he asks in v. 2- “When can I go and meet with God?”

b. We have the very presence of God within us!

c. Jesus

(1) Matt. 1:23- Immanuel- God with us

(2) Matt. 28:20- I am with you always

d. Despite these barriers removed and despite this constant access to the presence of God, we often do not spend time with God, much less long for his presence

(1) Illustration- A deer, not a camel

camels can go 6-7 months in the desert without drinking water

3. We have been given new life (8)

a. Col. 3:3- For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.

B. Praising God

1. I will still praise God even in trials

a. So often we are quick to give God praise when things are going well

b. But our praise is not dependent on our circumstances, it comes from a greater understanding of what God has done and is doing in my life

C. David calls others to ultimately put their hope in God

We ought to be pointing other Christians to the presence of God

We ought to be point unbelievers to know God and hope in the salvation he offers

So What?

Are you longing for the presence of God?

Are you fighting to recalibrate your thinking?

Are you placing your hope in the great salvation that God so freely offers you?