Be With Me: 7 Minutes of Biblical Wonder

When You’re “Singin’ the Blues” to God s30e106 Ps42

Michael Smith Season 30 Episode 106

The honesty of Ps42 is a little uncomfortable to hear.  It is like reading someone's diary of longing and difficulty. If you want brutal honesty, read Psalm 42.

Things are not going well circumstantially as we step into this psalm. That's where the blues come from.  Watch psalmist:

 Get honesty before the Lord right

Get the heart longing right

Get the head remembering right

Get the habits heading right,

Then subscribe to this channel.  It's a good habit for 7 minutes of your day. 

https://youtu.be/BgtkTvSHbww

 

When You’re “Singin’ the Blues” to God s30e106 Ps42

But if you have ever finding yourself Singing the blues to God, this is for YOU

Finally, an honest psalm! JK: they’ve all been honest. This one PARTICULARLY

Four points we’ll get to: 

Get REAL honesty right

Get the heart longing right

Get the Head rremembering righ

Get the habits heading right, 

Here is how it starts: 1           As a deer pants for flowing streams, 

so pants my soul for you, O God. 

2    My soul thirsts for God, 

for the living God.

we hear a person who is SINGING THE BLUES aka: quite cast down:

         Her soul pants for God, thirsts for the living God

         Unable to EASILY appear before the Lord in worship

         Eating the food of tears day and night. 

         Tears are on the menu for breakfast lunch and dinner MSG

         Pouring out her soul before God

Heads toward a repeated refrain:          5           Why are you cast down, O my soul, 

and why are you in turmoil within me? SINGING THE BLUES

In short, we interrupt a very real, compelling interaction of a human who has brought FEELINGS and FACTS to a fellowship with God

         It is almost too embarrassing to read for us. 

We shouldn’t be privy to this level of struggle.

         Wait, Isn’t being a Christian supposed to be full of highlights of holiness?

         There is some real stuff here; like reading a dairy

 

Reminds me of when Jacob literally wrestled with God in Gen 32

         Great line after Jacob wrestled with God all night long:

         26I will not let you go unless you bless me

         28“You have striven with God and have prevailed”

         New name for Jacob—Israel . There He blessed him.

.—get that same sentiment of wrestling, of persisting in the struggle until this is resolved

Why Are You Cast Down, O My Soul?

42 To the choirmaster. A Maskil of the Sons of Korah. 

1    As a deer pants for flowing streams, 

so pants my soul for you, O God. 

2    My soul thirsts for God, 

for the living God.     Longing of the HEART

 

       When shall I come and appear before God? 

3    My tears have been my food 

day and night, Tears are on the menu for breakfast lunch and dinner MSG

       while they say to me all the day long, 

“Where is your God?”

            4           These things I remember,     Remembering of the HEAD

 

as I pour out my soul: emptying out the pockets of my life

                        how I would go with the throng       RECALLING, THE habits  (of the feet)

 

and lead them in procession to the house of God 

       with glad shouts and songs of praise, 

a multitude keeping festival. 

5    Why are you cast down, O my soul,

and why are you in turmoil within me? SINGING THE BLUES

       Hope in God; for I shall again praise him,

my salvation 6 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. 

 

What do I do when my soul sings the blues? 

Is it even OK for a soul to sing the blues?

Phrased: WHY are you downcast o my soul

Really a song of :WHEN you are downcast o my soul what’s the rest of me doing? 

Good behaviors, good habits

Longing of the heart; remembering of the head; good habits of the feet

         Longing of the HEART

                  Wishing to appear before God

                           This person really has the WANNA

                  Meantime, I am pouring out my soul

         Remembering of the HEAD

                  I would go with the throng and sing the songs 

                  I would literally lead in procession to the house of God

                  I remember fondly the good old days of worship

                  Remembering the BEFORE to help with the NOW

 

         RECALLING, REHEARSING THE habits of the feet; good habits of the mouth, 

,

Here we are: honesty, pain, feeling forgotten, enemies, questions

Beginnings of good habits

HONesty about: where I am, compared to where I have been

         Where I am compared to where I want to be

Get REAL honesty right

Get the heart longing right

Get the Head rremembering righ

Get the habits heading right,