A Plan for Troubled Times — Randy L. Allen

As a deer longs for flowing streams,
    so my soul longs for you, O God.
My soul thirsts for God,
    for the living God.
When shall I come and behold
    the face of God?
My tears have been my food
    day and night,
while people say to me continually,
    “Where is your God?”

These things I remember,
    as I pour out my soul:
how I went with the throng,
    and led them in procession to the house of God,
with glad shouts and songs of thanksgiving,
    a multitude keeping festival.
Why are you cast down, O my soul,
    and why are you disquieted within me?
Hope in God; for I shall again praise him,
    my help and my God.

My soul is cast down within me;
therefore I remember you
from the land of Jordan and of Hermon,
from Mount Mizar.

Psalm 42:1-6

So long as we live here on earth, we will be subjected to trouble. We live on ground cursed by God (see Genesis 3:17) where evil roams (see 1 Peter 5:8) and chaos proliferates and things like viruses exist and mutate, and our bodies contract disease and decay, and we suffer. God’s holy word says creation, including we as part of it, is held in bondage to decay. Paul acknowledges suffering while urging us to focus on our adoption in Christ, our salvation, God’s glory that will soon be revealed to us, and our hope in Christ. He writes,

I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory about to be revealed to us. For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the children of God; for the creation was subjected to futility, not of its own will but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to decay and will obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. We know that the whole creation has been groaning in labor pains until now; and not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly while we wait for adoption, the redemption of our bodies. For in hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what is seen? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience. Romans 8:18-25

We have the Holy Spirit dwelling within us, yet we continue to “groan inwardly” (Romans 8:23). We exist in this in between state – we are not of the world but we live in the world and we are subjected to its dark influences. Considering our condition here on earth and the trouble that inevitably will come our way, Paul urges us to remember our hope, “For in hope we were saved” (Romans 8:24). He urges us to remember our hope in God’s promises because at times we feel distant from God.

Through God’s holy word we see who God is, we understand that all of creation suffers as a result of Adam and Eve’s choice, and that in and through Christ Jesus we have hope. We will experience trouble, but we know that God is with us, hearing us, helping us, and the Holy Spirit prays for us (see Romans 8:26). Yes, we will experience trouble, and ideally through our pain we grow to experience Christ Jesus in ways we never otherwise could. Pain, suffering and chaos force us to seek Him in new ways, and grow in Him, and experience more of His holy transformation than we otherwise would.

But at times we feel distant from God. The psalmist who penned Psalm 42 felt distant from God and through his writing we see a recipe of sorts emerge on how we might respond when we feel that way – he pours out his soul to God and he talks to himself, reminding himself of his hope and trust in God. The psalmist begins by beautifully, poetically describing his distance from God by revealing his longing and thirsting for God. He writes,

As a deer longs for flowing streams,
    so my soul longs for you, O God.
My soul thirsts for God,
    for the living God.
When shall I come and behold
    the face of God?
My tears have been my food
    day and night,
while people say to me continually,
    “Where is your God?”  Psalm 42:1-3

He longs for God and thirsts for God, which means, among other things, he feels separated from God and he seeks God. And others respond to his suffering by questioning his faith in God. Have you experienced that sort of attack on your faith? I have and I believe it is a common response to suffering, particularly in our culture. Many have grown to expect everything to be perfect. Many expect their lives to be comfortable, smooth and pleasure-filled, and when they encounter trouble, they ask where is God? Why would God allow this to happen? If God is all-powerful, sovereign, and love, how could He possibly allow this suffering? And they hear whispers encouraging this sort of thinking, driving a wedge between them and God. But God’s holy word promises trouble and suffering, and He allows it so that we will grow closer to Him, to help us grow in our faith and mature and gain experiences that prepare us to help others in ways that otherwise would be impossible because “the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory about to be revealed to us” (Romans 8:18).

“Where is your God?” My God is with me all the time, including my times of trouble.

The psalmist continues writing,

These things I remember,
    as I pour out my soul:
how I went with the throng,
    and led them in procession to the house of God,
with glad shouts and songs of thanksgiving,
    a multitude keeping festival.  Psalm 42:4

The psalmist pours out his soul to God as he remembers times when he felt God near to him, worshiping God with others in God’s holy house. He then speaks to himself saying,

Why are you cast down, O my soul,
and why are you disquieted within me?
Hope in God; for I shall again praise him,
my help and my God.

My soul is cast down within me;
therefore I remember you
from the land of Jordan and of Hermon,
from Mount Mizar. Psalm 42:5-6

The psalmist speaks to his own soul, telling himself to calm down. Remember God. Remember your experiences with God. Remember His promises. Remember who He is. Remember that He is faithful, merciful and just, He is with us, He hears our prayers and responds. Remember who God is and praise and worship Him because He is with us.

When you experience trouble, when you feel distant from God, pour out your soul to Him and remind yourself that God is who He claims to be, that He is with you, that He will not leave you or forsake, that He is your strength and your shield, and praise His holy name. May you know with intimacy God’s peace, rest and comfort, may you experience His strength, may you trust in the truth of His presence, now and always. Amen.