October 10 - Psalm 43

October 10 - Psalm 43:1-5

You will probably read in your Bible that Psalms 42 and 43 were read together as one Psalm. If you read the final verses of this Psalm, you'll see why that is a common belief.

The story continues as the Psalmist pleads to be allowed to return to Jerusalem.

In Psalm 43:3 we find the Psalmist asking God to send forth His truth and His light to guide him. When I looked the word 'truth' up in my concordance, I was astounded by the number of times Jesus said "I tell you the truth ...". A quick search on biblegateway.com tells me that this happens 78 times.

In John 14:6, Jesus says "I am the way the truth and the life." If God is sending forth His truth to guide us, might it not be Jesus? And in John 8:12, Jesus proclaims Himself as light. These are not words to be taken lightly. Jesus ensured that He constantly reminded the people of His relationship to God.

Psalm 43:3-4 gives us a beautiful progression. The Psalmist requests that truth and light guide him first to the holy mountain or back to Jerusalem (large picture). Then, he gets a little bit closer to God by coming into the tabernacle or the place where God dwells. Finally, he approaches the altar of God. And as he approaches God, he brings worship and praise.

As the Psalmist gets closer and closer to God, even if just in his imagination, he finds himself moving away from the depression of Psalm 43:1-2. By the time he gets to Psalm 43:5, the questions become curiosity. He understands that hope will get him through this. There is no reason be downcast. There is no reason to be disturbed. He is assured that he will praise God yet again.

Even in the midst of exile, the Psalmist looks forward to praising God. When we are at our lowest points, we are encouraged to do likewise. I fail at it miserably. How about you?