Hope In God | Rev Dr Taiye Adeola

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TEXT: Psalm 42: 1-11

1. As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God. 2 My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God: when shall I come and appear before God? 3 My tears have been my meat day and night, while they continually say unto me, Where is thy God? 4 When I remember these things, I pour out my soul in me: for I had gone with the multitude, I went with them to the house of God, with the voice of joy and praise, with a multitude that kept holy day.5 Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted in me? hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him for the help of his countenance. 6 O my God, my soul is cast down within me: therefore will I remember thee from the land of Jordan, and of the Harmonies, from the hill Mizar. 7 Deep calleth unto deep at the noise of thy waterspouts: all thy waves and thy billows are gone over me.8 Yet the LORD will command his lovingkindness in the daytime, and in the night his song shall be with me, and my prayer unto the God of my life.9 I will say unto God my rock, Why hast thou forgotten me? why go I mourning because of the oppression of the enemy?10 As with a sword in my bones, mine enemies reproach me; while they say daily unto me, Where is thy God? 11 Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me? hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God.

Hope – to have an expectation, trust, look forward to, optimism.

To hope in God means to trust God thus having expectation as you look forward to receiving from him.

One who is downcast and disquieted expresses hopelessness, and such is troubled in his heart, worried and disturbed by the realities of the experiences which often are not favourable to them or things are not working the way they feel it should.

To be downcast is to have a heavy heart and refuse to be cheerful; it is to carry a countenance that is not radiant.

Some reasons Why people are down cast and disquieted

1. What people say – vv 3-4
2. What people do to us – v9-10
3. Unmet expectations – v4
4. Challenges/troubles of life
5. Disappointment by men/loved ones
6. When we are betrayed
7. Losses of any kind

The challenge and encouragement that we receive from God’s word today through the Psalmist is that we can have our peace even in the midst of the storm when we hope in God. Peace is not necessarily the absence of trouble but confidence in God even in the phase of trouble. The challenges of life and the troubles orchestrated by the enemy are sufficient to make us worried, disturbed and restless, but when we hope in God we do not lose sleep over the troubles of life but we learn to cast all our cares upon the Lord who is mindful of us (Psalm 115:12). When we hope in God we shall be confident that he will not allow his righteous one to be overtaken by evil. The admonition of God’s word is “Be careful for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God” and the assurance of his word is “And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus”. (Philippians 4:6-7 KJV). Put your hope in God and you will find your peace even in the midst of the storm.

The Psalmist in this Psalm 42:5 in spite of the experiences with the enemy and the challenges that confronted him spoke to his own soul giving specific instruction that will remedy the heaviness of heart and the disquieted spirit.

1. Put your hope in God – not in men or some other things or beings. Trust in the Lord with all your heart, acknowledge him in all your ways, convince yourself and be persuaded that God will answer you and solve your problems whatever they are.
2. Praise the Lord – Do not allow your concerns and the challenges of life take the praise of God from your mouth; praise him in spite of the troubles or pains; praise because he will make a way. Praising God is affirming who God is and when you praise God you draw/bring him into your situation
3. Look to him for help – The help that you can get from only his presence. There are things that worry will not handle only casting the cares on God will do – vv 6-10
4. Be confident in God – v 8, 11 Believe in him for what he can do/give, verse 8 says “Yet the LORD will command his lovingkindness in the daytime, and in the night his song shall be with me, and my prayer unto the God of my life. Verse 11 says “hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God.
5. Remember his past goodness -v4

The Bible says in Romans 5:5 “And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us”. Our confidence in God is always rewarded if we do not give up and allow the enemy to steal our joy; Hebrews 10: 35 “Cast not away, therefore, your confidence, which hath great recompense of reward” and in Psalm 34:5, God’s word declares “They looked unto him, and were lightened: and their faces were not ashamed”.

Your hope must be kept alive in God, never give room for despondency, do not allow the devil or his agents help you organize pity party, come alive in your spirit man to praise the Lord and gain your victory over the challenges of life. Do not allow sorrow to settle in your spirit man, like David, encourage yourself in the Lord your God. If you do not have hope, you cannot see a solution in sight and will not be motivated to move on in life. Don’t be cast down, do not be disquieted, put your hope in God and let your soul praise the Lord who is your help.