The Crossing Community Church
Times Of Refreshing
“Refreshing My Down Times”
Pastor Jim Botts
August 18th, 2002
Introduction
How many of you are joggers? How about marathoners?
In a marathon there are those stations along the route where the runner can grab a refreshing drink as they make their way along. There are certain times in life it would be great to run into a spiritual water station. I believe that there are. The book of Psalms gives us some practical advice for getting “Times of Refreshing” for our souls. We’ll spend four weeks looking into key times when we especially need refreshment (Down times, Guilty, Rough, and Empty times).
Today, “Refreshing My Down Times.” Sometimes life can be a real downer and you really need a lift. Are you there right now? Let’s take a self test. Here are four indicators that you might be in a down time:
1. Maybe things are going great, but deep in your heart you’re thinking, “there’s got to be more than this to life.” You feel empty inside.
2. You feel like things will never improve, tomorrow will be no better than today. Like your best days are behind you and there’s no sign of a better future.
3. You have a sense of being lonely, even when you’re around people. Relationships aren’t doing it for you.
4. It doesn’t seem like you can trust anyone anymore. Your confidence is shot.
Today’ Psalm (42) gives great advice for each of those areas of need
The Bible give no retouched photo of life or people. From Jesus to Moses, down times were experienced by all. Our lesson today for how to get refreshment during your down times comes from the great hero King David.
Read Psalm 42:1-11
He wrote this Maskil (instructive song) to give us the keys to refreshing our down times.
There are four keys to finding refreshment in your down times…
1. Thirst for God (v1-4) BECAUSE WE FEEL EMPTINESS!
Expressed in terms of, “I feel hollow, empty about my life no matter what I do”
**We all long for God (v1-2a) : As it is natural for a deer to long for water, so also our souls naturally long for God. Our down times actually reveal the emptiness of life and our longing to know God. As thirst draws a deer to streams, so thirst in our hearts is designed to draw us to God. Our longing for God cannot be satisfied by anything else.
What about money? Christina Onassis, the daughter of wealthy Aristotle Onassis said, “Happiness is not based on money, and the greatest proof of that is my family.” Shortly after making that statement, she died of heart failure reportedly the result of years of abusing tranquilizers and diet pills. King Solomon, the wealthiest and wisest man in the Bible said…
Ecclesiastes 5:10 Whoever loves money will never have enough money; Whoever loves wealth will not be satisfied with it. This is also useless (NCV).
What about success? Pop-star Madonna, when asked the question, “are you a happy person?” Replied, “I’m a tormented person. I have a lot of demons I’m wrestling with. But I want to be happy. I have moments of happiness. I’m working toward knowing myself…assuming that will bring me happiness.”
Comedian Eddie Murphy told People magazine, “I feel something’s missing…I don’t think there’s anyone who feels like there isn’t something missing in their life. No matter how much money you make, or how many cars or houses you have, or how many people you make happy, life isn’t perfect for anybody.”
The New Testament records the story of a woman who tried to fill the longing in her heart with relationships with men. In fact she had a steady stream of broken relationships (she went through 5 husbands). She was living an empty life of shame. One day she went to a well to draw water at a time when no one else would be around. She ran into Jesus.
John 4:13-14 Jesus answered and said to her, "Everyone who drinks of this water shall thirst again; but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life" (NASB).
In effect Jesus was saying, “your thirst has been misplaced, the answer to your soul’s thirst is me.” One drink and you’ll never thirst again. His water is the water of eternal life. You’ve drunken from many wells (religion, career, relationships, stuff, but we’re still thirsty). Take your thirst to Jesus and ask for His water!
You say, “I don’t think it’s possible to really experience God.”
**God can be experienced (v3-4); The writer is having a down time because people are taunting him while He’s longing for God. He is remembering God’s nearness to him (he can’t get over it- me neither).
Take your thirst to Jesus, God’s presence will be experienced IN YOU, it is as real as the air we breathe or the bread we eat.
The first key to refreshing my down times is to thirst for God, next we must…
2. Hope in God (v5-8a) BECAUSE WE FEEL HOPELESS!
Expressed in terms of, “Things will never get better, tomorrow will be the same, why bother?”
Real need: A human being can live about 40 days without food, roughly 3 days without water, and nearly 8 minutes without air, but not one minute without the sense the future will somehow be better than today. Researchers at Cornell University studied 25,000 POW’s from WW2. They concluded that a person could handle almost anything if they believe that their best days are ahead, if they had hope. We need to have hope to cope!
Artificial Hopes: A lot of people have a kind of hope, but they haven’t based it on anything solid. People hope in the stock market, their good looks, a big salary job, a good family. All of those things are temporary and can be taken away. When they disappear, so does hope. But our text gives us two truths that are certain no matter how we feel and cannot be taken away.
**Because He is always near for you (v5-7)
Notice the intense, strong feelings (despair & disturbed within 2x)
“Have you ever been around a person who’s really disturbed?”
I had a friend who went through a deep depression (I was done!)
They can really wear you out, but not so with God, He remains.
HOPE IN GOD: for the help of His presence (He is near to help)
In verse 6 underline “therefore” and circle “remember”!
WE HAVE A CHOICE TO MAKE: GO TOWARD GOD OR NOT?
God never distances, we do (like the little on in the grocery store)
**Because He always cares for you (v8a)
God commands His lovingkindness (Heb “hesed” is used 250x)
This word speaks of God’s love placed on people through a relationship. It is based exclusively on His faithfulness, loyalty and reliability. It has ABSOLUTELY NOTHING to do with our ability to deserve it or feel good about it. UNCONDITIONAL
Daytime: What else is happening during the day in this text?
(v3) crying while being mocked (v10) more of the same
He commands His love to meet you IN your situation.
What kind of love is this that could reach into our souls?
He is near for you, He cares for you, and His song is with us.
We can praise Him for the help of His presence
To find refreshment for my down times I must take my thirst to God, place my hope in God, then I must…
3. Pray to God (v8b-10) BECAUSE WE FEEL LONLINESS!
Expressed in terms of, “I am so on my own, I have nobody to talk to”
What’s up with loneliness? Have you learned that you don’t have to be alone to feel lonely. It’s not the number of people around you that determines your loneliness, it’s your relationship to them. In the urban world we live in, people have never lived closer together, yet felt farther apart. Did you know can be wealthy and be lonely, look at Howard Hughes. You can be popular and be lonely, look at Michael Jackson. You can be beautiful and be lonely, remember Marilyn Monroe. You can even be married and be lonely!
Amy Grant’s got a great song. It says, “I love a lonely day. It gives me a chance to really focus on God.” Prayer is the hearts means of relating with God.
Why Pray? Prayer is relational, not informational. God invites us!
God does not suffer for lack of information, He wants to be w/us
Matthew 6:5-13 Jesus taught His disciples to pray (Father 4x)
“Daily bread” so that we come back and see Him tomorrow
Jesus set the example of prayer as relationship.
Mark 1:35 And in the early morning, while it was still dark, He arose and went out and departed to a lonely place, and was praying there (NASB).
How to pray when you’re down (v8b): Prayer is how we access God’s presence in times of need.
If you’ve ever wondered how to pray when your down, here it is
1. Pray from your heart (v8a): “His song…a prayer to God.” Don’t be afraid to sing, cry, or laugh.
2. Pray humbly (8b): “the God of my life.” God is not some genie we rub to get something. He is God, come before Him with a sense of awe in His presence.
3. Pray honestly (v9-10): He know what you’re going through (just be honest about how you feel).
As we pray this way, great things flow to us from God. His strength comes to our weakness, His mercy and grace meet us in our need.
The final key to finding refreshment for my down times is to…
4. Count on God (v11) BECAUSE WE NEED CONFIDENCE!
Expressed in terms of, “Everyone lets me down,, who can I really trust?”
**To handle your questions (v11) Two questions regarding “why?”
Our lowest times are often accompanied by questions.
Over $500 million is spent annually on prescriptions for coping!
This Psalm describes an experience of being down - big time.
Maybe you’re having a down time right now & you’re questioning.
The Answer for WHY questions isn’t what, how much - WHOM!
That Answer to life’s problems is not a program or a prescription or possessions, but a Person – God Himself.
24x God is referred to in these 11 verses about down times.
David calls God, “The Living God, my rock, the God of my life and my God. He has confidence because He is counting on God.
Do you have a personal relationship with God that shows itself in confidence during down times? What are you counting on?
**To manage your life: The Bible says you can know God personally. You can become one of His confident children. There are four realities to embrace in order to begin a personal relationship with God today.
1. The Bible says that every person here is imperfect, a sinner, myself included. We have all fallen short of God’s perfect standard. Can you embrace that truth?
2. Our sins have separated us from God. As light and darkness cannot mix, so a Perfect God and imperfect people cannot mix. Our sins have placed a real barrier between God and us. His face is hidden from us. Can you embrace that truth?
3. Jesus Christ is God’s only provision for removing the sin barrier we have. Jesus lived the perfect life we could never live, and died on the cross to pay the penalty of sin that we owe. And rose from the dead to prove that He’s God. Can you embrace that truth?
4. All who place their trust in Him as their Savior would be free from the judgment of sins. The cross is a place of exchange. My sins on Him, His righteousness to me. Can you embrace that truth? Can you look to a time when you’ve turned from all you’ve done and embraced Christ by faith.
He wants to be the King of your life, to reign powerfully in you.
Jesus drew a dividing line by saying, if you’re not with Me you’re against Me. He is an invitation away. Will you let Him reign in you as your new King?
Acts 3:19 Repent therefore, and turn to God so that your sins may be wiped out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord (NRSV).
Turn to God and ask Him to wipe out your sins because of Jesus. You will experience Times of Refreshing that no one can take away
