God’s light and God’s truth guide from trouble in the world to delight in the Lord
To be grounded is to have a foundation. The stairs coming off of your deck should come to rest on a firm footing. There may be a custom cement pillar or poured concrete or merely some generic blocks, but well built deck stairs rest on something firm.
David is well grounded
In Psalm 43 David has recorded many things from the midst of his uncertainty and trouble. There is a firm footing behind it though. Look at the following things that can be said about how David is grounded.
1 Vindicate me, O God, and defend my cause against an ungodly people, from the deceitful and unjust man deliver me! 2 For you are the God in whom I take refuge; why have you rejected me? Why do I go about mourning because of the oppression of the enemy? 3 Send out your light and your truth; let them lead me; let them bring me to your holy hill and to your dwelling! 4 Then I will go to the altar of God, to God my exceeding joy, and I will praise you with the lyre, O God, my God. 5 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. (Psalm 43–ESV)
- God is strong (verse 1)
- God will vindicate (verse 1)
- God will rescue (verse 1)
- God’s light guides men (verse 3)
- God’s truth is just that: truth (verse 3)
- God hears (most of these verses)
- God is the source of joy (verse 4)
- God is the source of delight (verse 4)
- Eventually God will come (verse 1, 4)
- A person can be in God’s presence (verse 4)
- It is good to be in God’s presence (verse 4)
- God grants freedom from oppression (verse 3)
David still struggles
The overarching principle here is that David was well grounded in God’s truth. Another thing though is that despite being grounded in the truth he was not dancing around with joy and delight. He was disturbed and downcast. He was wrestling with his thoughts. He was oppressed and under false accusation.
David chooses to hope in God
When we are downcast and disturbed we look for a way out. There is hope. David knew it. David chose to put his hope there. In faith he said, “I will yet praise him.”
I am about to finish a second novel this week. The tough spots in life the characters found themselves in seemed hopeless. The characters at these moments would end up praying. Since the characters were not Christian and the author was not emphasizing God as the source of hope each character thought nearly the same thing. They thought, “to the anything that is out there listening.” Their prayers were desperate grabs.
They were not grounded in God, but knew at their core that something else should be there. Had they been like David they could have had hope. We all come to God from different places. Some have yet to learn of him and yet call out. Others have learned of him, but need to learn to call out. Others are downcast and troubled, but call out, praise and wait upon the Lord.
Being grounded does not mean one has a life of bliss. It does mean hope for bliss is real.
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