Light in the darkness-Psalm 43

                Has God ever put a song in your heart?  That has been happening to me a lot lately in the form of the hymns of my childhood.  One of the most recent ones was “my hope is built on nothing less than Jesus’ love and Righteousness.”  There comes times in our lives when it is hard to have hope.  It is hard to see the proverbial light at the end of the tunnel.  We seemed mired in the darkness, feeling our way through the best we can.  We oscillate from tears, to panic, to anger and to despair. 

                The psalmist of psalm 43 had a song in his heart in the midst of his darkness.  In fact he sings the same refrain in both Psalm 42 and 43.  He sings “Why, I ask myself, am I depressed?  Why are you so upset inside?  Hope in God!  Because I will again give him thanks, my saving presence and my God.”  (vs. 5)  The Psalmist’s hope was built on nothing less than God.  He cries out to God for justice.  He tells God he feels rejected by God in the midst of his darkness but he doesn’t let go of God. He holds onto the knowledge that God is his “protective fortress.”  (vs. 2)  He asks for Light and truth to be his guide.

                Finally, as he did in Psalm 42, he describes coming into the worshiping community.  “Let me come to God’s altar-let me come to God, my joy, my delight-then I will give you thanks with the lyre, God, my God.” (vs. 4)  We are reminded by this that perhaps our darkest moments are the very moments we need to come into our worshipping community.  There we are nourished by the very presence of God within God’s people, our church family. 

                I have been walking in my own darkness for a little over a month now.  However, on Sunday morning when I walk into God’s house and am among God’s people, it has never failed that light shines into my darkness.  The people among me don’t see the messy tears I’ve been crying all week.  In that place I’m filled with a peace that passes all understanding.  It that place God’s love and strength fills me up to the brim.  In that place a sense of calm comes over me.  God’s house provides me with shelter week after week. 

                Where are you able to find God’s peace?  Have you found a worshiping community that can do that for you?  Walk into the doors of light and peace this week.  You won’t regret it!