GETTING NEAR TO GOD WHEN WE NEED HIM
… based on The Psalms 22:1-2
This morning we’re going to be talking about getting near to God when we need Him. And when is it that we especially need Him? … Usually during difficulties, hard times, suffering, & when we’re hurting in some way.
Now I’m not going to be discussing the theological causes or purposes of pain & suffering … I’ve done that before. What I want to focus in on this morning is how to feel near to God during our hard times.
Our Scripture passage is going to sound very familiar; at least the
1st sentence. Even though it’s from The Psalms it seems like something Jesus said, as Matthew & Mark record His words from the cross.
(Matthew 27:46; Mark 15:34) But the words we’ll be reading come from David,
written some 1,000 years before Jesus came to live on this earth.
Let me set the scene for you.
David has had a deep personal relationship with God.
That’s clearly apparent from reading some of his other Psalms. He pours out his heart to the Lord; being completely honest with his feelings.
LORD, you have examined me & you know me.
You know everything I do; from far away you understand all my thoughts.
You see me, whether I am working or resting; you know all my actions.
Even before I speak, you already know what I will say.
You are all around me on every side; you protect me with your power.
Your knowledge of me is too deep; it is beyond my understanding.
Where could I go to escape from you?
Where could I get away from your presence? …
If I flew away beyond the east or lived in the farthest place in the west,
you would be there to lead me, you would be there to help me.
(The Psalms 139:1-7,9-10)
And how about the 23rd Psalm? …
The LORD is my shepherd; I have everything I need. …
I know that your goodness & love will be with me all my life. (The Psalms 23:1,6)
He’s confident of God’s faithful care for him.
Listen now to Good News, written by David, to us who have gathered here for worship. Within our hearing comes the Word of the Lord.
My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?
Why are you so far away?
I have cried desperately for help, but still it does not come.
O my God, I cry by day, but you do not answer,
and by night, but I find no rest. (The Psalms 22:1-2
May my words & my thoughts be acceptable to you,
O LORD, my refuge & my redeemer! (The Psalms 19:14)
May the Lord grant that we may engage in contemplating the mysteries of His Heavenly wisdom with really increasing devotion, to His glory and to our edification. Amen
David begins his Psalm with some of the same questions that you & I throw up to God when we’re dealing with tough things. “God, where are you?
Why have you deserted me? Why have you abandoned me?
Why do I feel like I’m dealing with this all by myself?
God, I’m alone down here. Hello? Anybody listening?”
Now, honestly, those are questions that I’ve asked, & I wouldn’t be surprised if you have too.
David was struggling with some things in his life …
& we’ve got some struggles in ours.
Of course, we’re not completely transparent with one another,
concerning financial issues, health issues, emotional issues, relational issues,
but I think it’s fair to say that each one of us is dealing with something right now. So, just like David, we understand what it’s like to deal with hard things. And when they hit us, we often lose our spiritual compass,
& so, the 1st question that rolls out of our mouth is … God, where are you?
“Why have you abandoned me?”
David is hurting …
“I have cried desperately for help, but still it does not come.”
Now do you understand what he’s really asking?
“God, why haven’t you fixed my problem yet?”
He goes on …
“O my God, I cry by day, but you do not answer,
& by night, but I find no rest.”
“God, why does it seem like my prayers are falling on deaf ears?”
Now be honest … haven’t you felt this way at times? Haven’t you asked God these kinds of questions when the hard times have come your way?
“God, where are you? Yoo!
In case you haven’t noticed, I’m dealing with a pretty big problem down here. And I’m praying to you, but you’re not answering me.”
Now, of course, implied in all these questions is our assumption that God should fix our problems & answer us when we pray. And isn’t that what we’re most interested in … at the end of the day … isn’t that what we want?
We just want God to take away the pain, the hurt, the issue, the hardship … whatever it is. We want relief from our troubles.
That’s what we see in Scripture, right? Over & over again, especially in the O.T. we find God intervening in the lives of His people. We see Him answering when they cry out to Him. He fixes problems. He steps in.
And that continues on in the N.T.
This world will bring trouble, but there’s a God who knows us & loves us & hears us, & we’re told to pray to Him … & He’ll intervene. And not only does Scripture teach God’s intervention in the lives of His people, but most of us have experienced that as well. In fact, let me ask you, by a show of hands, how many of you would say that God has intervened in your life in a real enough way that you could actually tell somebody else about it? …
So, we have faith in a God who does in fact care about His people.
And it’s been our experience to see that happen, personally.
And David had experienced God’s care as well … many, many times.
As a shepherd boy, the Lord had saved him from lions & bears. (1 Samuel 17:37)
And as David reminds himself of those moments, he begins to turn the corner & starts remembering some things that he knows are true about God.
“You sit as the Holy One, the praises of Israel are your throne.” (The Psalms 22:3)
It’s like David’s doing a balancing act. “Okay God, I feel like you’re not fixing my problem, & it doesn’t seem like you’re hearing me, so I need to start reminding myself of some things about you that I know are true.”
And this is the key for us. And it’s the point we’ve got to learn this morning.
When we feel like God has turned a deaf ear to whatever problem we’re dealing with, we need to stop & do a little remembering those specific times God has intervened in our lives. But having said that, I understand that when I’m struggling with some problem, when I’m dealing with some issue,
it’s not always easy to stop thinking about me, & start thinking about God.
This is why a knowledge of the Scriptures is so helpful as we try to navigate through life … especially the Psalms, because they deal with real life issues.
And we see that this morning with the 22nd Psalm.
David was thinking only about himself as he began it … he’s hurting,
& he feels like no one cares … & even God has abandoned him, or so he thinks.
You know, there was a time when even Jesus Himself felt that way.
Scripture records for us 7 specific statements that Jesus made when He was dying on the cross.
And interestingly, 1 of those comments is a direct quotation from Psalm 22.
Jesus would certainly have been familiar with the Psalms because they were used regularly in Jewish worship. So, as He becomes almost overwhelmed with His problem … the cross … He cries out:
“My God, my God, why did you abandon me?”
So, what’s going on here? We all understand, especially while we’re sitting here on Sunday mornings, that we live in a fallen world.
Bad things happen. Life is tough. Problems exist. And on this level,
we agree with God,& God agrees with us … something is wrong.
But on another level, our diagnosis of this world is not God’s diagnosis.
We look around & say,
“Something is very wrong. I’m experiencing pain, & loneliness, & weakness,
& anxiety. I’m worried, & frustrated, & hurting,
& weary.”
And as we’re dealing with our struggles & problems, we look at God & think, “God, there’s something wrong with you because you’re not fixing
my situation.” “My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?”
But at the same time, God looks down on humanity & says,
“Hey, the problem is not with me.” God’s diagnosis is that there’s something wrong with us … it’s our sin. We’re the ones who have created this mess that we’re living in. We’ve created the problem.
So, what can be done about our sin-filled lives?
Well God, praise His holy name, provides the solution. Scripture records ...
“The Lord made the punishment fall on Jesus,
the punishment all of us deserved.” (Isaiah 53:6)
We’ve all heard this before, many times … yes, Jesus died for my sins.
(1 Corinthians 15:3) All my sins were put on Jesus on the cross,
so I will not be sent to Hell, but will live with Him in Heaven for all eternity. … But it’s more than that.
We’re talking about our sinful actions & attitudes, & all the negative consequences that come with it. All of the brokenness, all of the hurt,
all of the pain, all of the suffering, all of the junk, all of the repercussions, all the garbage that comes with our sins … is put in one nasty gross package
… & it has wrecked this world. And all of that sin & all of the consequences that come with it were placed on the cross with Jesus.
He didn’t deserve any of it. He lived in perfect obedience to the Father.
“Christ was without sin, but for our sake God made him share our sin in order that in union with him we might share the righteousness of God.”
(2 Corinthians 5:21)
God takes our sin & puts it on Jesus …
& in exchange what is offered to us is righteousness.
Righteousness means simply that we have been put in good standing with God.
(Romans 5:1)
That’s the best exchange we’ll ever, ever be offered.
Our sin, & all the consequences of it, including death & separation from God, was placed upon Jesus. And in return we are offered righteousness.
That’s incredibly humbling. And what’s required of us is that we respond appropriately to the cross of Jesus Christ.
David cried out … “My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?”
Jesus cried out … “My God, my God, why did you abandon me?”
So, my question this morning is, during those moments when we have struggled, during our most difficult times …
have we been able to say that? “My God, my God ….”
In other words, when you cry out to God … is He your God?
Let me be really honest in the next few moments … maybe one of the reasons some people feel distant from God is because they’ve never drawn near to Him through the cross. God is God, but He’s never become my God.
So, the 1st thing we need to ask ourselves is … has Jesus become the Lord & Savior of my life? Have I truly come to faith in Him? I’m not talking about believing that there’s a God, like I believe there was an Abraham Lincoln … I’m talking about being “born again.”
Jesus said, “I am telling you the truth:
no one can see the Kingdom of God without being born again.” (John 3:3)
So, getting near to God when we need Him begins with our coming into a personal relationship with Jesus.
But having said that, there are times when I’ve visited someone who’s going through a bad situation, & they look at me & ask, “Why’s God punishing me?”
In Luke 13 we read an interesting conversation about a cause for problems & troubles. Some people came & “told Jesus about the Galileans whom Pilate had killed while they were offering sacrifices to God.” (Luke 12:1)
This is the only place in Scripture that we read about Pilate, aside from Jesus’ crucifixion. Pilate had been appointed by Rome to govern Judea.
And apparently, he ordered the execution of some Galileans; & what makes that worse is that he had them killed while they were at Church worshiping.
Let’s try to grasp this. We’re here this morning worshiping, & someone comes in & murders a ½ dozen of us. What would be our 1st question? …
(why?)
Well, that’s what the people who came to Jesus were wondering.
They were trying to make some sense of it, & the best they could do was suggest that these specific Galileans were killed because they had sinned in a really bad way, & as a result, deserved to die.
Now before we dismiss that suggestion, more often than I care to count, I’ve had people tell me, “Well, I’m sick, I’m suffering …
so I must have done something really bad & God is punishing me.”
Jesus responds, “Do you think those Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans because they died that way? … What about those 18 people in Siloam who were killed when the tower fell on them?
Do you suppose this proves that they were worse than all the other people living in Jerusalem? No indeed!” (Luke 13:4)
His implication is … maybe the tower just fell.
Sometimes bad things happen.
But no matter what life throws at us, we’ve got to be focused on what’s the most important thing, on what’s most significant … & that’s eternity.
Jesus says, “I tell you that if you do not turn from your sins, you will all die as they did.” (Luke 13:5) Unless we repent, unless we acknowledge our sin … we’re going to face more than physical death;
there’s spiritual death to contend with.
We get so caught up with our problems in the here & now,
that we totally forget about what awaits us. The day is coming when Jesus will return & establish His Kingdom … & then things will be perfect again.
(Genesis 1:31)
“I heard a loud voice speaking from the throne: ‘Now God’s home is with people! He will live with them, & they shall be his people. God himself will be with them, & he will be their God. He will wipe away all tears from their eyes. There will be no more death, no more grief or crying or pain.
The old things have disappeared.” (The Revelation 21:3-4)
I need to say something difficult here, but we all need to hear it.
Maybe one of the reasons God seems so distant during our difficult moments is because we’re too busy looking for solutions to our problems.
Please don’t misunderstand me … but I’ve known some people who’ve had cancer … & have become obsessed with getting healed from it. And I wonder if being healed of cancer becomes more important than God Himself? And if so, then that healing could actually become an idol in their life. And any idol we worship separates us from God. (Exodus 20:3)
I’m uncomfortable saying that, but we all need to hear it, because we get so consumed thinking about ourselves … that we start “to worship” what we want to happen in our life instead of worshipping Almighty God.
If I want to feel near to God when I need Him,
I’ve got to put Him on the throne.
“Be concerned above everything else with the Kingdom of God & with what he requires of you, & he will provide you with all these other things.”
(Matthew 6:33)
Maybe God seems distant during our painful moments … because He is.
In other words, maybe some people need to be honest about the source of their hard times. Maybe some people are going through some bad things because they’re regularly ignoring God. They’re pushing Him away. They’re going their own way … & then they begin thinking about God & wonder why He’s not fixing their problems. Maybe they feel distant from God because in fact … they are. So, to feel close to God we need to get close to God.
There’s something else about “feeling” close to God.
Feelings can often be misleading. I recognize that because I’m a very touchy, feely person. I feel happy. I feel sad. I feel excited.
These emotions are visibly evident in my life.
But when I don’t feel the emotions, does that mean that those truths don’t exist? There are times when I really “feel” love for Kathy,
& her love for me. But in other moments, when the “feeling” isn’t as strong,
does that mean we’re not in love? Of course not.
So, feelings aren’t always the best indicators.
We’re all familiar with the “Footprints In The Sand” poem.
(There are some who think it’s actually in the Bible.)
Remember the man’s comment when he noticed that during the most troublesome times of his life only 1 set of footprints we’re seen on the sand?
“I don’t understand why when I needed you most you would leave me?”
In other words, “Lord, I don’t ‘feel’ your presence with me.”
The LORD replied, ‘My precious, precious child,
I love you & would never leave you. During your times of trial & suffering, when you see only 1 set of footprints, it was then that I carried you.’”
Finally, maybe God is working out a plan that’s different than ours.
There’s a novel thought! (Isaiah 55:8-9) But this is where faith & trust come into the picture. “We know that in all things God works for good with those who love him, those whom he has called according to his purpose.” (Romans 8:28)
A # of years ago now, a Pastor, Rick Warren, wrote a best-selling book,
“The Purpose Driving Life.” (It’s a terrific book, & if you haven’t read it,
it’s worth your time.) Here’s how he begins …
“It’s not about you.” Okay, who is it about? …
God … we’re here for God’s glory.
Last evening I was looking for a way to end this message,
& just then I saw what a friend posted on Facebook.
(I love it when God provides my sermons.)
I used to believe that God would never give me more than I could handle. But the older I get, the more I realize something … sometimes life WILL give you more than you can handle. But that doesn’t mean God will leave you to handle it alone. Because I’ve had seasons that absolutely broke me. Seasons where I cried myself to sleep. Seasons where my anxiety felt bigger than my faith. Seasons where I questioned how I was supposed to keep going. Seasons where I prayed & prayed, but nothing seemed to change. I’ve had moments where I wasn’t strong. I wasn’t positive.
I wasn’t handling things gracefully. I was barely holding on. And for the longest time, I thought that meant I wasn’t trusting God enough.
But here’s what I’ve learned.
God never asked me to be strong enough to carry everything on my own.
He asked me to trust the One who could carry me. Sometimes He doesn’t immediately remove the storm. Sometimes He walks with us through it. Sometimes the situation doesn’t change overnight, but He gives us enough grace to make it through another day. And sometimes the greatest testimony isn’t that God kept us from experiencing something painful. It’s that He never abandoned us in the middle of it. So, if you’re in a season right now where everything feels like too much. If you’re exhausted.
If you’re overwhelmed. If you’re questioning how much more you can take. If you’re trying to keep it together for everyone around you while silently falling apart. Please hear me. You don’t have to pretend you’re okay
to have strong faith. You don’t have to have all the answers.
You don’t have to understand what God is doing.
And you certainly don’t have to carry every burden by yourself.
And that’s the reminder I’m holding on to. Not that I’m strong enough for everything life throws at me. But that even when I’m not strong enough, I serve a God who is. I’ve survived things I never thought I would make it through. Not because I had it all together, but because God never let me walk through them alone. And if you’re still in the middle of your hardest season, I pray you feel His presence right where you are.
Because sometimes faith looks less like standing strong & more like falling
to your knees & whispering … “Lord, I can’t do this without You.”
Someone once said, “God’s will is exactly
what you would desire if you knew all the facts.”
May all of us echo the thoughts of the Apostle Paul.
“We never become discouraged. Our physical body is becoming older
& weaker, but our spirit inside us is made new every day.” (2 Corinthians 4:16
MARANA THA
