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Psalm 42; Psalm 43; Psalm 44; Psalm 45; Psalm 46<\/strong><\/span> Today we read Psalm 42 verse 1, which is one of my favorite verses in the Bible! \u201cAs the deer pants for streams of water, so I long for you, O God.\u201d<\/em>\u00a0 That is so right on.\u00a0 Lately these days I have been longing for God more than ever \u2013 and I love that.\u00a0 I am thankful for that.\u00a0 There have been seasons in my life \u2013 which can certainly be called \u201cdry\u201d seasons \u2013 where I have not longed for God.\u00a0 Where I have not longed for the true Living Water.\u00a0 I just love the picture this Psalm verse paints in my mind \u2013 a deer in the wilderness is fleeing from hunters.\u00a0 It is literally dying of thirst as it runs.\u00a0 It is tired.\u00a0 It is weary.\u00a0 It is running from death.\u00a0 And it needs water.\u00a0 It pants for streams of water.\u00a0 Like this deer, I pray that I long for God in the same way.\u00a0 As I flee from sin.\u00a0 As I am tired.\u00a0 As I am weary.\u00a0 As I run from death.\u00a0 I need God.\u00a0 I long for God.\u00a0 \u00a0How about you?\u00a0 Do you long for God these days as a deer longs for water?\u00a0 Are you consistently drinking from the true Living Water?<\/span> I think Psalm 43 verse 5 starts off with a couple of questions that then answer themselves by the end of the verse \u2013 \u201cWhy am I discouraged?\u00a0 Why so sad? I will put my hope in God!\u00a0 I will praise him again\u2013my Savior and my God!\u201d<\/em> I would agree with what this verse is getting at.\u00a0 If I find myself to be discouraged or sad, it comes as no great surprise to me that I have been putting my hope in things other than God.\u00a0 I have been perhaps even praising false idols.\u00a0 And the sure fire way to be freed from the discouragement or sadness?\u00a0 To put my hope once again in God and God only.\u00a0 And to praise him again!\u00a0 I think this Psalm verse is a great reminder to make sure we are not placing our hope in anything other than God.\u00a0 For anything other than God will only leave us empty in the end. <\/span> Psalm 44 verse 3 is a wise statement about where the Israelites and our true strength and victory in life comes from! \u201cThey did not conquer the land with their swords; it was not their own strength that gave them victory. It was by your mighty power that they succeeded; it was because you favored them and smiled on them.\u201d<\/em> <\/span> Every time I read Psalm 44 verse 23 it reminds me of one of the amazing aspects of the Psalms \u2013 that the Psalms are people like us speaking to God \u2013 and in all sorts of emotional ways: \u201cWake up, O Lord! Why do you sleep? Get up! Do not reject us forever.\u201d <\/em>This type of verse reminds me that it\u2019s okay for us to not always talk to God in our \u201cchurch voice.\u201d\u00a0 It\u2019s okay to get a little bit passionate in our prayers to God.\u00a0 I think God would prefer us to be real with him \u2013 where we are right now or at any given moment \u2013 rather than try to put on any special facades for God.\u00a0 If ever you feel like you are at a loss for words for what you might want to say to God \u2013 how you might be needing to pray to God \u2013 surf through the Psalms\u2026\u00a0 you\u2019ll very likely find voice for what you are trying to say.\u00a0 <\/span> Today we read Psalm 46, which is an incredible Psalm! This Psalm represents a song of hope celebrating the certain triumph of God\u2019s kingdom \u2013 even in the midst of times of severe trouble. This Psalm served as the inspiration for Martin Luther\u2019s famous Hymn, \u201cA Mighty Fortress is Our God.\u201d Just after 9\/11 I saw emails and posts on the internet floating around with the entirety of this Psalm. I would encourage you to keep this Psalm in your \u201cback-pocket\u201d as a Psalm to meditate upon whenever you personally might be going through times of severe trouble \u2013 or whenever our world might be going through times of severe trouble. Near the end of Psalm 46 in verse 10 we read a tiny little verse that I think is the key to this Psalm \u2013 \u201cBe still, and know that I am God.\u201d<\/em> If you are going through a time of trouble in your life right now, will you take some time to meditate upon Psalm 46 and in particular verse 10?\u00a0 <\/span> Psalm 45 is very likely a song of praise to King David on his wedding day.\u00a0 Interestingly, after the Babylonian exile, this Psalm was applied to the Messiah, Jesus Christ, the promised Son of David.\u00a0 I can see how some verses in this Psalm could apply to both the current king of the day and the true king yet to come.\u00a0 Verse 7 is a good example: \u201cYou love what is right and hate what is wrong. Therefore God, your God, has anointed you, pouring out the oil of joy on you more than on anyone else.\u201d\u00a0 <\/em>Below is Mary\u2019s (Martha\u2019s sister) anointing of Jesus from the <\/span>Gospel of John chapter 12 verses 1-8<\/span>.\u00a0 \u00a0 <\/span> YouTube:<\/strong> Psalm 42 and my reflections above on Living Water reminded me of the Brother Yun book titled Living Water<\/em>.\u00a0 Brother Yun wrote the well-known book Heavenly Man<\/em>, and Living Water is his second book.\u00a0 Below is a 10 minute talk from Brother Yun about his imprisonment in China and his ultimate freedom in Christ. <\/span><\/p>\n \n
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