Psalm 119: Distress and the Word of God (Part 1)
Psalm 119 • Sermon • Submitted
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· 12 viewsA look at Psalm 119:81-88, relating desperation to the Word of God
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Psalm 119: Distress and the Word of God (Part 1)
Psalm 119: Distress and the Word of God (Part 1)
Distress is defined by the Oxford English Dictionary as,
Distress: “To subject to severe strain or pressure (physical, financial, or other); to put to sore straits, to embarrass; now esp. to afflict or exhaust, as painful exertion which puts a severe strain upon the physical powers.” (https://www-oed-com.ezproxy.bju.net/view/Entry/55763?rskey=TFkvdW&result=2&isAdvanced=false#eid, accessed 4 June 2020)
We all come to points in our lives when we are distress. We may unexpectedly lose our jobs, and we are faced with incoming bills, family needs, and the need for employment. Or, we may lose a loved one. Particularly in the case of a spouse, we feel distress because our entire worlds are falling apart. Perhaps the onset of a nasty medical issue drives us to this feeling of losing all hope.
We live in a fallen world. As Heath Lambert reminds as,
“The fall of mankind in the garden has comprehensive implications for what it means to be a human being. Sin touches every element of our existence as people.” [Heath Lambert, A Theology of Biblical Counseling: The Doctrinal Foundations of Counseling Ministry (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2016), 219]
Lambert goes on to note that sin affects:
Our standing before God
Our motivations
Our relationships
Our world
[Lambert, A Theology of Biblical Counseling, 220-225.]
Since we live in this fallen world, and since we all struggle and deal with the effects of this fall, we often find ourselves in distress. We cannot think of taking another step forward. We do not imagine how life will ever feel normal. We cannot see the light at the end of the tunnel. In fact, the darkness is so think we cannot see the tunnel.
As we think about distressing situations, it is important to remember that the Word of God is sufficient. As I mentioned in a previous sermon, the truth of the sufficiency of God’s Word means that “The sufficiency of Scripture teaches us that the Scriptures are able to meet all of mankind’s needs, provide answers to all his questions, and to demonstrate the way to live a life that honors God.”
Included in that statement, “all of mankind’s needs,” is distress. You see, the Word of God speaks of distress. Several individuals in Scripture dealt with this feeling of hopelessness.
Hagar, the handmaid of Sarah, driven to physical exhaustion, loses hope that her child Ishmael would live- Gen. 21:9-19
Israel, in their wilderness wanderings, often lost hope (too many references to cite!)
The ten spies from Israel lose hope in the sight of the Anakim- Num. 13:1-14:4
In the midst of tremendous loss, Naomi lost all hope- Ruth 1:1-21
After an exhausting spiritual and physical battle, Elijah lost all hope of defeating Jezebel and prayed that God would take his life- 1 Kings 19:1-4
We could provide many more examples, but I think this provides proof that God’s Word addresses distress. The question is, what do we do?
I would imagine, like me, you have reached a point in your life when you found yourself in despair. Perhaps you are in the midst of such a situation at this time. While distress tells you there is no hope, God’s Word, the eternally-true and life-giving Word, tells us we have every reason to hope!
For the psalmist, he turned to God’s Word, regardless of personal distress or provoked distress. For in this portion of Psalm 119, I see two sources of distress:
Personal-meaning coming from within
Provoked- meaning coming from without
Now, I would be remiss if I did not say there is crossover. There are personal distresses that come from others, and there are provoked distresses that come from personal issues. The intricacies of distress are fine, and many times it is difficult to distinguish between personal and provoked. However, there are times that we can see the sources of the distress, and the Word of God addresses both.
In this sermon, we are going to address Personal Distress. That is, distress, as the dictionary reminds as, is “to afflict or exhaust, as painful exertion which puts a severe strain upon the physical powers.”
Our passage indicates the distress our three levels: holistic (the individual self, mentally, and physically. As such, we will spend our time this evening looking at how the Word of God is sufficient to help us during times of personal distress.
I. HOLISTIC DISTRESS AND THE WORD OF GOD- Psalm 119:81
I. HOLISTIC DISTRESS AND THE WORD OF GOD- Psalm 119:81
I say holistic because the psalmist uses the word soul. This word is used in a variety of ways in the Scriptures. In some cases it is used to describe physical life (such as Genesis 1:24 “living creatures”). In some cases it discusses the spiritual make-up of human beings (such as Genesis 35:18). However, as is the case in our present verse, the word soul comprises the entirety of the self. The psalmist says, “My soul languishes...”
A. THE SOUL AS THE ENTIRETY OF MAN— My soul
A. THE SOUL AS THE ENTIRETY OF MAN— My soul
The soul, the entirety of the human being, is subject to distress. Distress afflicts us all, and there are times in which the distress is so severe that the entirety of our being is affected. We will discuss the idea of languishing momentarily, but for now I want to describe the soul, because it turns out the Scriptures help us overcome this holistic approach.
Genesis 49:6 is in the midst of the last testament and prophetic utterance of Jacob for his sons. In it at he says, “Let my soul not enter into their [Simeon and Levi] council...” That is, do not let my being enter into their council, I do not want to face their violence.
The soul, as it is used in this verse “is the entity that thinks, feels, acts, and desires.” [Hamme, Joel T. “Soul.” Edited by Douglas Mangum, Derek R. Brown, Rachel Klippenstein, and Rebekah Hurst. Lexham Theological Wordbook. Lexham Bible Reference Series. Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2014.]
All of these parts, if you will, comprise the soul. And each one can be afflicted by distress. Our thoughts can be afflicted by distress. “Where will the money come from?” “What happens if I get cancer?” “What is she doesn’t like me?” The list could go on, but you can see how our thoughts can experience this distress.
Our emotions, which are comprised of both feeling and desires, can also be afflicted by distress. We can become deeply depressed, that feeling of hopelessness. We can become angry, which can override mental thought. Again, more examples could be provided, but it is important that our emotions can be the focus of distress.
Finally, our actions are the result of our wills. Our actions can be affected by distress. Think of how adrenaline works. Dr. Berg describes it like this, “Adrenaline is a wonderful friend in a real emergency, but it is a deadly foe as a way of life.” [Jim Berg, God Is More Than Enough: Foundations For a Quiet Soul (Greenville, SC: Journey Forth, 2010), 6.] Our actions are affected by distress.
The psalmist says My soul. The entirety of my being! His soul experienced distress by describing it as “languishing.”
B. THE SOUL UNDER DISTRESS— My soul languishes
B. THE SOUL UNDER DISTRESS— My soul languishes
I love the descriptiveness of this word. Now, it is translated long, desperately long for, and faints. Genesis 21:15 uses the word to describe the emptying of a skin of water. “When the water in the skin was used up, she left the boy under one of the bushes.” The water of the skin was used up, it was empty.
It is used to describe the completion of a speech in Genesis 24:45. It is used when God was going to wipe out the children of Israel in Exodus 32:10. In the book of Leviticus, chapter 23:22, it is used to describe the harvesting of crops.
It is, like I said, a descriptive word. It is describes the state of the soul of the psalmist. His soul, his very being is wasting away. Distress, remember, means “To subject to severe strain or pressure (physical, financial, or other); to put to sore straits, to embarrass; now esp. to afflict or exhaust, as painful exertion which puts a severe strain upon the physical powers.”
Have you ever experienced this? Have you ever been in distress to the extent that the entirety of your being is affected? This is where the psalmist finds himself.
C. THE SOUL’S FOCUS— My soul languishes for Your salvation
C. THE SOUL’S FOCUS— My soul languishes for Your salvation
The psalmist, in the midst of this holistic distress, looks to God’s salvation. As the psalmist is experiencing the distress, he looks to the only place for true help.
Dr. Berg, one of my seminary professors, describes the many places we turn to besides the Individual for true hope,
“How are people dealing with these ‘perilous times?’ Some are turning to suicide. Others are turning to alcohol, illegal drugs, and psychiatric medications. Others lash out in road rage, drive-by shootings, and killing sprees. Still others distract themselves with a constant bombardment of entertainment, sports, and other activities.”—Jim Berg, God Is More Than Enough, ix.
You see, we, as fallen creatures, are prone to seek help every where other than God. Consider Adam and Eve in the Garden. When their eyes were opened, when they realized they had sinned, they turned to fig leaves instead of the Creator.
But the psalmist teaches us an incredibly important message, and perhaps you need to hear this now. The psalmist, when facing distress in the entirety of his being, turns to God.
He says, “My soul languishes for Your salvation,” or deliverance. The soul, under the terrible weight of distress, turns to the only One Who can truly help!
Oh, how Christians need to learn this truth! Turn to God for your hope. Where do you turn when you are in distress? Think about facing a distressing situation in which you find yourself, what do you normally turn to for help? That reveals the source of your salvation (or, most accurately, perceived salvation). And the soul’s focus points us to the soul’s hope.
D. THE SOUL’S ONLY HOPE IN DISTRESS—I wait for Your word
D. THE SOUL’S ONLY HOPE IN DISTRESS—I wait for Your word
What does the psalmist do when faced with this holistic distress? He longs for salvation, for deliverance, and who wouldn’t in the midst of such terrifying circumstances? He waits for God’s word.
Now, the word wait is interesting. The entire concept seems odd to be honest. When we need deliverance, we need help, immediate help! When we are poured out like water from a skin, we need to be refilled. Yet, the psalmist says, “I wait for Your word.”
We have come across this word before, back in verse 43. But, to refresh your memory, the idea is not simply to wait. It is not like sitting at a red light waiting for it to turn green. It is waiting in hope. It is like Christmas morning. You wake up early eagerly anticipating the opening of the presents. You know its coming, you simply have to wait.
This is what the psalmist does, but he waits for something specific. He waits for God’s Word. Now, this is such an important truth, I want to spend sometime unpacking the many implications.
1. The psalmist submits humbly to God’s timing
1. The psalmist submits humbly to God’s timing
In the midst of distress, and particular in distress such as the psalmist is experiencing, we can find ourselves impatient. The very intensity of the situation removes the calm approach that we might otherwise take. Yet, the psalmist does not give into the fury of finding hope at all costs. He humbly submits to God’s timing.
We know this because he waits. He does not spring to action, or fly off the handle, he waits. Brothers and sisters, we must learn to wait on our God. His timing is perfect. Even in the midst of distressful situations, we must humbly submit to God. We realize that His ways are not our ways, and that His time is not our time.
2. The psalmist focuses hopefully on God’s Word
2. The psalmist focuses hopefully on God’s Word
The second implication is that the psalmist focuses hopefully on God’s Word. That is, he zeroes in on God’s Word with hopeful expectation. This is where the psalmist experiences life-giving hope. It changes everything. He eagerly waits for God. Are you enduring holistic distress? Follow the Psalmist’s example and wait for the Word of God. What does God’s Word teach us? Two very important truths:
a. God’s Character- Your Word
God’s Word reveals God’s character. The sacred Scriptures Who God is. Oh, how dwelling on the immensity of God provides hope in distressing situations! Consider the words of Jonathan Edwards, who discussed the idea of the believer and heaven,
“Is the main reason, that you may be with God, have communion with him, and be conformed to him? that you may see God, and enjoy him there? Is this the consideration which keeps you hearts, and your desires, and your expectations toward heaven?”—J. Edwards, “God the Best Portion of the Christian”
It is God of Whom we learn about in His Word. God is delightful, beyond our words and comprehension!
Oh brothers and sisters, consider Jesus, of Whom Jonathan Edwards wrote,
“There do meet in Jesus Christ infinite highness and infinite condescension. He is higher than the kings of the earth; for he is King of kings, and Lord of lords. He is higher than the heavens, and higher than the highest angels of heaven. So great is he, that all men, all kings and princes, are as worms of the dust before him; all nations are as the drop of the bucket, and the light dust of the balance; yea, and angels themselves are as nothing before him. He is so high, that he is infinitely above any need of us; above our reach, that we cannot be profitable to him; and above our conceptions, that we cannot comprehend him.
“And yet he is one of infinite condescension. None are so low or inferior, but Christ’s condescension is sufficient to take a gracious notice them. He condescends not only to the angels, humbling himself to behold the things that are done in heaven, but he also condescends to such poor creatures as men; and that not only so as to take notice of princes and great men, but of those that are of meanest rank and degree.”—J. Edwards, “The Excellency of Christ”
The Scriptures are full of such wonderful displays of the character of our God. He is meek and lowly, He is high and lifted up, He ever liveth to make intercession for us. Oh, what comfort there is in such divine meditations on the incomprehensible God! Read of His character, of His patience, of His love, of His justice, and so on.
b. God’s History- Your Word
The psalmist focuses on God’s Word, hopefully, because he, knowing the character of God, witnesses His history in the Word of God. Are you in distress? Plunge yourself into the Scriptures! They speak of God’s faithful and loving shepherding of His people through all sorts of distress. It is God’s History, the divine written records of His faithful dealings. It gives hope! Wait, eagerly wait like a child on Christmas Eve to see what your sovereign, loving Father will do with your distress!
“My soul languishes for Your salvation; I wait for Your Word.” Are you in distress? Then go to God’s Word with eager expectation, dwelling on His character, and revelling in His history.