Holy Love Mourns For Withdrawal Of God's Presence

 ANCHOR OF LIFE DAILY DEVOTIONAL GUIDE For TUESDAY, 23RD MAY, 2023.

TOPIC: EXPOSITION OF PSALM 42 – Part 3

Holy Love Mourns For Withdrawal Of God's Presence

MEMORIZE: ““My tears have been my food day and night, While they continually say to me, "Where is your God?"” Psalm 42:3.

SCRIPTURE READING: Psalm 42:3-5.

“My tears have been my food day and night, While they continually say to me, "Where is your God?" 4 When I remember these things, I pour out my soul within me. For I used to go with the multitude; I went with them to the house of God, With the voice of joy and praise, With a multitude that kept a pilgrim feast. 5 Why are you cast down, O my soul? And why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God, for I shall yet praise Him For the help of His countenance.”

EXPOSITION: 

David was a man who enjoyed the presence of God and also knows its value. When he felt that the presence of God has departed from him or refrained from answering him in the days of calamities, he mourned for it. Holy love mourns for God's present withdrawings and the want of the benefit of solemn ordinances (Psalm 42:3): "My tears have been my meat day and night during this forced absence from God's house." 

When he was forces to flee before his son, Absalom, his circumstances were sorrowful, and he accommodated himself to them, received the impressions and returned the signs of sorrow.  Even the royal prophet was a weeping prophet when he wanted the comforts of God's house. His tears were mingled with his meat; or rather, they were his meat day and night; he fed, he feasted, upon his own tears, when there was such just cause for them; and it was a satisfaction to him that he found his heart so much affected with a grievance of this nature. Observe, He did not think it enough to shed a tear or two at parting from the sanctuary, to weep a farewell-prayer when he took his leave, but, as long as he continued under a forced absence from that place of his delight, he never looked up, but wept day and night. 

Those that are deprived of the benefit of public ordinances constantly miss them, and therefore should constantly mourn for the want of them, till they are restored to them again. What aggravated his grief? The reproaches with which his enemies teased him: They continually say unto me, Where is thy God? 

(a.) Because he was absent from the ark, the token of God's presence. Judging of the God of Israel by the gods of the heathen, they concluded he had lost his God. Note, Those are mistaken who think that when they have robbed us of our Bibles, and our ministers, and our solemn assemblies, they have robbed us of our God; for, though God has tied us to them when they are to be had, he has not tied himself to them. We know where our God is, and where to find him, when we know not where his ark is, nor where to find that. Wherever we are there is a way open heaven-ward. 

 (b.) Because God did not immediately appear for his deliverance they concluded that he had abandoned him; but herein also they were deceived: it does not follow that the saints have lost their God because they have lost all their other friends. However, by this base reflection on God and his people, they added affliction to the afflicted, and that was what they aimed at. Nothing is more grievous to a gracious soul than that which is intended to shake its hope and confidence in God.

Are you like David in affliction of hatred that took you away from the gathering of the saints? Are your enemies asking, where is your God? Is your present situation speaking of no hope? Do you feel like God is far away from you or He is not hearing you? Know for sure that God is nearer to you more than imagined. Keep trusting him and persist in calling him and you will soon see Him at work in your favour. David sought him and found Him.

PRAYER POINT: Lord, answer those who are asking me that “where is his God?” in Jesus name.

DAILY BIBLE READING IN A YEAR –  Job 29-32.