Hope In God
Good morning, Immanuel. Our hope is not in our experience of God, but in God Himself.
“Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation and my God…” (Psalm 42:5-6a).
David knew what it was like to be in a spiritual desert. His soul thirsted for God as a deer pants for water (v1). In his mind's eye, he could revisit sweeter times of rich fellowship and joyful praise in the temple with God's people (v4). During those moments, David felt close to God and full of life, but now those moments seem out of reach! Many of us can relate to that. Like David, we may have past experiences of spiritual joy and vitality that now only seem to frustrate us as we endure a season of spiritual dryness. Why the disconnect? Why the dark cloud? "Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me?" The Bible gives us permission to wrestle with that tension.
Two realities run parallel in the Christian experience: 1) we often experience times of being cast down, and 2) our hope is in God! David doesn't pretend that all is well in his present experience. That would be dishonest. Neither does he wallow in his current experience, but he directs his attention to God Himself. In light of God, David sees joy as the more abiding reality. Our hope is not ultimately found in a season of spiritual high or an experience of God, but in God Himself. Christ does not change, and His love and salvation do not sway with the crashing waves of human circumstances! Christ is worthy of our hope, our worship, and our praise. We shall again praise Him.