Psalm 43
Theme: Anticipation for God’s Presence
“Vindicate me, O God, and defend my cause against an ungodly people, from the deceitful and unjust man deliver me! 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?
Send out your light and your truth; let them lead me; let them bring me to your holy hill and to your dwelling! 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.
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.”
I’m amazed by the brutal honesty of the Psalms. David and the other writers were not afraid to verbalize the depths of their pain, yet at the same time they revealed their faith in God.
What strikes me about this passage is the singer’s anticipation to be in God’s presence. His soul is cast down and in turmoil from the oppression of wicked people. Where does he run? What is his place of security? You ready?
GOD WAS HIS EXCEEDING JOY.
What if we approached our worship times as if God was our exceeding joy? What if our highest longing was to be in the presence of God?
Let’s cause our worship focus this week and our preparation for Sunday to be on God our exceeding joy. Think and pray and prepare in such a way that your heart is longing to be with Jesus. Anticipation paves the way for genuine worship.