Building Hope @ Home Week 1

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FIGHT FOR HOPE

Psalm 42

Are you wrestling with faith and fear, confidence and questions, hope and despair? 

Aren’t we all?!

How much is really known about COVID-19? So many unknowns and uncertainties are breeding fear. As you read Psalm 42:1-11, you’ll see the psalmist dealing with uncertainties in his life. We don’t know the specifics of what has happened, but unexpected and unwanted trouble has invaded his life. He is feeling tormented, discouraged, and oppressed. He sounds depressed. But He’s not giving in; he is fighting back. As we face this unexpected and unwanted pandemic, we can learn from this Psalm how to fight for hope.


This Psalm is written by the sons of Korah. They were the music team in charge of worship in the temple. The writer is far away from the temple and he is feeling far away from God. You can tell he loved his job at the temple as he longs to be back there. He’s missing being at work. He misses meeting with God’s people for worship. We too miss getting together to praise God. It is hard to not be able to see (and hug!) our church family. We can relate to much of what the Psalmist was struggling with.

Read Psalm 42 several times

Because our minds can’t fully grasp the mind of God, it’s always good to start your Bible study by asking God to teach you and to speak to your heart. 


"Open my eyes to see the wonderful truths in your instructions.” Ps. 119:18

1. Make a list of all that is said about God. Look for words that describe God and what He is doing.

2. Describe the Psalmist. What is he struggling with? What is he feeling?

3. In Ps. 42:1-2, what does psalmist compare his desire for God to? Why? What would make him feel like this?


“Ease he did not seek, honor he did not covet, but the enjoyment of communion with God was an urgent need of his soul; he viewed it not merely as the sweetest of all luxuries, but as an absolute necessity, like water to a stag.” (Spurgeon)

 

“When it is as natural for us to long after God as for an animal to thirst, it is well with our souls, however painful our feelings.” Spurgeon

4. In Ps. 42:3, why do you think people were saying “where is your God?”

5. Did you notice in Ps. 42:4 how much he misses going to the house of God to worship with others? He was feeling isolated, and in Ps. 42:9 he thinks God has forgotten him. What does he do with those feelings? See Ps 42:4, Ps 42:6, Ps 42:9.

6. In Ps. 42:5, who is David talking to?


Have you realized that most of your unhappiness in life is due to the fact that you are listening to yourself instead of talking to yourself?” (Martyn Lloyd Jones)                                                                                                                     


Here we see the wrestling match between faith and fear; confidence and questions; hope and despair.

“We must talk to ourselves instead of allowing ourselves to talk to us! You must say to your soul: “Why are thou cast down-what business do you have to be disquieted?” You must exhort yourself, and say to yourself, “Hope in God,” instead of muttering in this depressed, unhappy way. And then you must go on to remind yourself of God . . . Who God is, and what God is, and what God has done, and what God has pledged Himself to do. Then, having done that, end on this great note; defy yourself, and defy other people, and defy the devil and the whole world, and say with this man: “I shall yet praise Him for the help of His countenance, who is also the help of my countenance and my God.” Martyn Lloyd Jones, Spiritual Depression, pg. 21


Isn’t it great that God shows us in His Word that other people, even leaders, have these emotional battles inside of them? It’s a normal human experience. Martyn Lloyd Jones’ perspective has been a tremendous help to me. Using this counsel has helped me to move away from my self-defeating and faith-destroying thoughts. I can tell that I am listening to myself when my thoughts are condemning, pessimistic, or focused on me. I’ve learned to remind myself that God is in this with me, and turn my thoughts to God’s promises that fit my situation. I preach to myself! Paul tells us in 2 Corinthians 10:5 to take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ. This is how to fight for hope!

In the NASB, Ps. 42:5 says, “Why are you in despair, O my soul? And why have you become disturbed within me? Hope in God, for I shall again praise Him for the help of His presence. The psalmist has plenty of reasons for despair. What are his reasons for hope?

* Psalm 42:5 is a powerful Scripture to memorize so that you have a weapon to use when you are battling fear and despair.

7. Look at Ps. 42:7. He describes an overwhelming sense of despair, comparing it to feeling like he is drowning. In this difficult and unwanted trial, what does the psalmist believe about God?

8. Notice in Ps. 42:8-- even though his feelings are telling him otherwise, what does his faith say?


In the NASB, Ps. 42:8 says, “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.” The word “command” is a military term. He believes that God can powerfully invade his heart with His lovingkindness. He knows this is true, even though he’s not feeling it. Think of the word picture. When God commands His lovingkindness to invade our heart, it conquers and destroys all the enemies’ negative thoughts. We can ask God to do this for us!

9. Ps. 42:11 ends with the Psalmist again talking to himself, a repeat of Ps. 42:5. What is he challenging himself to do (what actions will he take?)

10. What are the 3 main points that spoke to you from this psalm? How will you apply them to your life?        

Trials always change us. This unexpected, unwanted, inconvenient, and uncomfortable season of COVID-19 will not leave us the same. I think we will look back on 2020 as the year that changed us, changed our culture, and changed our church. The stress and pressure will either push us away from God or push us closer to God.


What specific change do you want to see in your heart and life when you look back on 2020?

Psalm 42 Fight for Hope


Barb Beard

[email protected]


3/26/20