Psalm 42:5-11

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 6 my God.

My soul is downcast within me; therefore I will remember you from the land of the Jordan, the heights of Hermon— from Mount Mizar. 7 Deep calls to deep in the roar of your waterfalls; all your waves and breakers have swept over me.

8 By day the Lord directs his love, at night his song is with me— a prayer to the God of my life.

9 I say to God my Rock, “Why have you forgotten me? Why must I go about mourning, oppressed by the enemy?” 10 My bones suffer mortal agony as my foes taunt me, saying to me all day long, “Where is your God?”

11 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.

“Worship Matters”Psalms 42 & 43

Psalms 42 -72 make up Book 2.Some of these are written by

“the sons of Korah”Numbers 16 tells the story of Korah.

He was a Levite who was trying to usurp the power of Aaron’s priestly line.

Numbers 16

8 Moses also said to Korah, “Now listen, you Levites! 9 Isn’t it enough for you that the God of Israel has separated you from the rest of the Israelite community and brought you near himself to do the work at the Lord’s tabernacle and to stand before the community and minister to them?

10 He has brought you and all your fellow Levites near himself, but now you are trying to get the priesthood too. 11 It is against the Lord that you and all your followers have banded together. Who is Aaron that you should grumble against him?”

Korah and his men were removed in a very dramatic way!

Korah’s descendents, however, were not punished and continued to serve as Levites and authored

some psalms.

The author of Psalm 42 &43 seems to be a Levite, from the line of Korah, who is exiled among Gentiles. Far from Jerusalem, the center

of Jewish worship. He expresses frustration being

among people who oppress him and question his faith.

His situation is not so different than being Christians in our world today.

Feeling isolated, without encouragement and a support system,

believers can easily become disheartened.

Psalm 42For the director of music. A maskil of the Sons of Korah.

1 As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O God. 2 My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God? 3 My tears have been my food day and night, while men say to me all day long, “Where is your God?”

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.

Like the deer, panting for air, and seeking water after a drought, the

author thirsts for God.His tears have been his food, as men

question where his God is.He remembers the times in Jerusalem when he worshiped in the temple and

deeply misses it.

You can have air, water and food, the basic physical needs for survival…

but without worship, life is meaningless.

We are emotional, spiritual beings.We see this in our world today.

People have the things they need to exist, but something is missing to give

their lives meaning.

And when we know God, and cannot worship or nurture our faith,

we get discouraged.

Chorus: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 6 my God.

Even believers get discouraged, “downcast” and “disturbed within”.The author reminds us that we must

“put our hope in the God”. Hope is looking ahead to better times, remembering what the Lord has done

in the past and will do again.Promised Land

“O God, our help in ages past, Our hope for years to come.”

Isaac Watts

Psalm 90

This psalm, along with Psalm 43, shows the author going through ups and downs.Not unlike our own experiences;

we have ups and downs – like the stock market!

We wonder about why the world around us seems to be winning,

And we question why God is not doing something about it.

In those times, remember what God has done for you:

6 My soul is downcast within me; therefore I will remember you from the land of the Jordan, the heights of Hermon—from Mount Mizar.

7 Deep calls to deep in the roar of your waterfalls; all your waves and breakers have swept over me.

8 By day the Lord directs his love, at night his song is with me— a prayer to the God of my life.

By recalling what God has done for his people, he remembers the Lord.

God = Elohim (Vs. 8) Lord = Jehovah,

God of the CovenantHe remembers the faithful God

who cares for his people.

Psalm 43: (another up and down)

1 Vindicate me, O God, and plead my cause against an ungodly nation; rescue me from deceitful and wicked men. 2 You are God my stronghold. Why have you rejected me? Why must I go about mourning, oppressed by the enemy?

3 Send forth your light and your truth, let them guide me; let them bring me to your holy mountain, to the place where you dwell. 4 Then will I go to the altar of God, to God, my joy and my delight. I will praise you with the harp, O God, my God.

When we feel alone, we need turn to remember and seek the Lord.

Worship doesn’t have to be at the temple.We should ask for His light and

His truth to guide us. It’s easy to get sucked into the thinking of

the world, but that will not satisfy… Only the truth of God and worshiping Him

will satisfy our souls.

5 Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God.

The author takes his personal experience and puts it into poetry for worship.

Used 3 times – chorus of the song.

He uses the ups and downs of his life to remind people that through it all, the Lord is our hope, our Savior and God.

Gospel chorus by Andre Crouch, 1971

Through it all, through it all,

I’ve learned to trust in Jesus,

I’ve learned to trust in God,

Through it all, through it all,

I’ve learned to depend upon His Word.

Putting it all togetherWe can have all the basic needs of life, but feel that life is meaningless when

we do not know God and worship Him.Having meaning in life helps us deal with

the ups and downs along the way.

Putting it all togetherIt is important to have other believers in

your life to inspire your faith.It is discouraging to have people put

down and question your God.Seek out a place to worship God

and find fellowship with other believers.

Putting it all togetherThere will be times of discouragement; we are not immune to the frustrations

that come from the world.In those times, remember…

Ask for light, truth and guidance…Place your hope in God…

And worship.

We are the Federated Church.

Our Mission is to…

Seek Christ, Serve Christ and Share

Christ.