“Do You Hear the Deep Note?”
– Part II
Psalm 42:1-11
Verse 4 – “These things I remember as I pour out my soul;
how I used to go with the multitude, leading the procession to the house of
God, with shouts of joy and thanksgiving among the festive throng.”
To bridge this chasm, the psalmist engages an
effective means of prayer. He pauses and
reflects upon his prior communion with God.
Memory is a form prayer when a person thinks of God’s enduring
faithfulness. These recollections
equates with adoration. To encourage
himself, the psalmist envisions the days of old when he joyously awoke on any
Sabbath morning with a heart bursting with enthusiasm as he anticipates his
arrival at the Temple. His excitement
motivates him to arrive before everyone else.
Quite possibly, he became a greeter as he welcomes everyone to the house
of Almighty God. Nevertheless, his
spiritual fervor burns brilliantly as he arrives at the Temple with the primary
expectation of relating to Almighty God.
These thoughts partially deliver the psalmist from the despondency of
soul, heart and mind he feels.
Imagine his previous experiences of fruitful worship
with “shouts of joy and thanksgiving among the festive throng?” What caused the disconnect? When does he lose his intimacy with God? How does he lose it? Very possibly, his preoccupations with life’s
hustle and bustle explain the Psalter’s loss.
The foregoing memories are infertile and meaningless as the noise of
daily existence overwhelms them. They no
longer spiritually sustain or emotionally satisfy him. His thirst progresses to a point of dire
need; he is spiritually famished. Not
surprisingly, he blames God for his predicament.
Verse 5 – “Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise
him, my Savior and my God”
The psalmist continues questioning himself about the
length and breadth of his emotional disturbance. Why does it linger? How long will this cloud of depression remain
over him? Is there anything he can do to
remove it? There are times along the
journey of faith when we must ask ourselves some very hard questions as we
strive for spiritual maturity and personal growth. To combat emotional destitution, the psalmist
returns to basic fundamental actions in building a relationship with God. He exhorts himself to begin once again to
trust in God’s goodness. He further
challenges himself to put his hope undecidedly in the God of the universe. The psalmist will also return to praising God
as “my Savior and my God.” In so doing,
he will liberate himself from his penetrating despair.
Interestingly, William Styron in his compelling
book, Darkness Visible, discusses a
very personal battle with depression that nearly resulted in his suicide. Although Styron writes about a bleak subject,
he does so with the most eloquent and memorable prose. Yet, Styron practically follows the
psalmist’s recommendations. He receives
the advice of friends who encourage him to “keep on keeping on” and refuse to
give up hope. Though Styron initially
rebuffs this advice as sophomorically pathetic and useless, he eventually
realizes this steadfast human communication and contact enables him to
persevere toward the light at the end of the tunnel.
Correspondingly, the psalmist returns to the
fundamental spiritual practices of his faith.
As he engages daily spiritual disciplines of prayer, meditation,
self-evaluation, affirmation of God’s Word, imaging God’s presence and personal
devotion, the psalmist finds renewal in his relationship with God.
II. Page
Two – Problems in the World and in Us
Truly, we can relate to the psalmist’s dilemma. As we traverse life’s merry-go-round, we
easily relate to his disconnection from God as we prioritize our “to do”
list. Should we fail to stop and ask
similar questions, not surprisingly, we willingly subject ourselves to the
incredible stresses and anxiety of twenty-first century life. Though we are the most prosperous people who
have ever lived, we are the most stressed and bewildered.
We willingly imprison ourselves to science and
technology with the means of working twenty-four hours a day and seven days a
week. We evaluate our worth utilizing
finances and material possessions as the yardstick. One of the perils of our unparalleled
prosperity is our propensity to limit our worldview to materialistic, empirical
and financial worldview which does not allow for meaning in any non-corporeal
way. In contrast with “primitive” times,
we are less secure and more frightened.
More significantly, we fail to resolve any major social, economic and
political issues that plague us.
Perhaps, the aimlessness, hopelessness and
lovelessness permeating contemporary society emerge from a progressive
indifference to faith in God. What
explains the phenomenal sales of Pastor Rick Warren’s book, The Purpose Driven Life? Its bestselling status clearly indicates how
fiercely people seek meaning in life.
Though characterized as a Christian book, it appeals to people of all
faiths and principles including secular humanists and adherents to non-theistic
beliefs.
Fortunately, the psalmist points us toward an
enduring answer to the complex questions that afflict modern humankind as we
search for a soul. He suggests
simplistically yet ever significantly to put our trust and hope in Almighty
God.
III. Page
Three – God’s Grace and Redemption in the Text
Verse 7 – “Deep calls to deep in the roar of your
waterfalls; all your waves and breakers have swept over me.”
God never ceases to speak and commune with God’s
people. “Draw nigh unto God and He will
draw nigh unto you.” If God isn’t in the
same place in your life today as He was yesterday, who moved? Can you hear the deep note? However simplistic these questions may be,
they still possess a major premise which exhorts us to examine our daily
priorities. Is a relationship with
Almighty God important enough to invest time, talent, treasure and
temperament? Are we willing to pull
aside from the daily rat race, be still and listen for God’s voice?
Again, Thurman asks pointedly “Can you hear the
genuine sound of Almighty God?” Will you
assume the “centering position” of solitude?
Thurman speaks of the necessity of “creative silence.” He insists upon the nonnegotiable role of
solitude and meditation in the quest for personal development, spiritual growth
and Christian education. Listening for
the symphony of God versus hearing the cacophony of the larger world is a daily
battle for disciples.
Meditation has two significant purposes. First, it is an emotional and spiritual place
where we withdraw from the demands of the world and directly focus upon
Almighty God. In these “centering
moments,” we hear the deep notes of God’s symphony of love, faithfulness,
compassion and peace. Additionally,
these periods of withdrawal enable the divine Potter to reveal the majestic and
mysterious ways in which He graciously assists us in putting the broken pieces
of our lives back together. In the deep
recesses of our minds, the closets of our hearts and the cellars of our
psyches, we find the liabilities of our personalities. Those unfortunate traits prevent us from
actualizing our God given talents and abilities. They fragment our lives and inhibit us as it
relates to knowing and fulfilling our destinies. Yet, if we willingly pull aside and listen
for God’s voice, we receive divine guidance as to the process of making
something new with those broken pieces.
A re-creation is the first definitive benefit of withdrawal into the spiritual
practice of meditation.
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