Psalm 43 and Psalm 42 are closely
related. Some have argued that they really
are one psalm that got split. They even
have the exact same verse, “Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you
in turmoil within me? Hope in God; for I
shall again praise him, my salvation and my God.”
The appeal here is really one of total
dependence on God. It is the prayer of a
heart that has realized that it has no power to do what is necessary. That’s an uncomfortable recognition, but it
reflects the truth of Ephesians 2 that, apart from Christ, we are dead in
trespasses and sins.
I often ask my students (children and adults,
alike), “What do dead people do?” The
answer being, “Nothing.” In like manner,
if we were dead in trespasses and sins, we contribute nothing to our
salvation. Indeed, we only experience
life in Christ.
So we cry out to God, “Vindicate me!” Defend me!
God is the one who sets us right with Himself through Jesus’ sacrifice
and resurrection.
Despite that salvation, we often find
ourselves under attack from, “ungodly people” – which is really all the enemies
of God in this world. This does not mean
that we are constantly being overtly accused of hypocrisy, sinfulness, and the
like. All too often the ungodly
undermine us by temptation to sin, casting doubts on our faith, questioning the
truth of God’s Word, and seeking to plant false teachings – teachings based in
human principles instead of the Word of God – into our heads and hearts.
One of the most insidious of these false
teachings is the idea that we must do something in regard to our
salvation. There must be some
contribution that we make, some good deed, some decision, some … something to
be saved.
Whenever we find ourselves trusting in our
actions, no matter how small, we will find ourselves becoming either smug self-satisfied
fools who are certain we’ve done all that is necessary or fearful doubting
wretches constantly wondering if we’ve done enough. This is the impact of the “oppression of the
enemy.”
Instead of looking to ourselves, we are to
call out to God, “Send out your light and truth; let them lead me; let them
bring me to your holy hill and to your dwelling.” This statement gives up on the self and
throws us fully into God’s hands. It’s
like saying, “I cannot do this, God. I
need you to shine light on my path and guide me past the pitfalls of ungodliness. I need you to tell me the truth and prevent
me from believing false teachings.” And
to our need, our Lord Jesus says, “I am the Light of the World. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness,
but will have the light of life.” (John 8:12 ESV) He says, "I am the Way, and the Truth,
and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (Joh 14:6 ESV)
Having had Christ’s light shone upon us, and
having met the one who is Truth, we are then drawn to worship. We approach God’s altar and sing praises to
Him because of what He has done and Who He is. Jesus is the one who has won our
salvation, and He is our God; with the Father and the Holy Spirit, in the
mystical unity of the Trinity.
So, why are you cast down, O my soul? Hope in God.
Hope in Christ. He is both Light
and Truth.
Father, I praise you for sending Jesus to save me. Let me walk in His light and truth all my
life. Amen.
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