Do You Talk to Yourself?
Do you talk to yourself? When I ask this question most people say yes. Then I want to know, do you answer yourself? People are a little slower to answer, but most people admit to answering themselves. Now I did not ask if you hear voices, that is very different and if you do you may need to seek professional help. Talking to yourself is nothing new. In fact the psalmist in chapter 42 of the book of Psalms talks to himself and answers.
He asks himself, "Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me?" Sounds like this is not what you would call a good day. Things aren't going right and it has gotten to the core of his being, to his very soul. But he does not allow it to overcome or dominate who he is. He answers himself with a challenge. "Put your hope in god, for I will yet praise him, my savior and my God." He is down, but not out. He knows where to turn his focus if he is going to make it through his current problems.
Always Downcast, Always Disturbed
The Hebrews following Moses seemed to maintain constant attitudes in their lives. They were always downcast and disturbed. It did not matter what was happening.
“The whole community grumbled.... Egypt is where we sat around pots of meat and ate all we wanted." God was right in front of them every day. He showed himself as a pillar of smoke during the day and a pillar of fire at night. But they did not see God and what he was doing they just grumbled and complained. So what does God do? "I will rain down bread from heaven." They grumbled and God gave them quail to eat. They ate from the miraculous provision given them by God for 40 years and they always did the same thing the moment things did not go their way, they grumbled. (see Exodus 16-1-36)
On several occasions they were in dry places where there did not appear to be any water. So what did the people do? They quarreled with Moses and said, "Give us water to drink." Moses wanted to know why they were turning on him and God. The people were not through they continued their attack on Moses by asking him, "Why did you bring us up out of Egypt to make us and our children and livestock die of thirst?" They were always negative, downcast, everything disturbed them. God has Moses strike the rock and water gushes out. The people drink, and not one word of thanks, or praise or anything positive. It was if they were thinking, ‘well it's about time.’ (see Exodus 17.1-6)
"The people grumbled against Moses..." (Exodus 15.24) It got so bad that "In the desert the whole community grumbled against Moses..." (Exodus 16.2) When they had nothing else to do "The people... grumbled against Moses." (Exodus 17.3) Poor Moses, he led them, protected them from God, helped get them out of Egypt, pleaded for water, food and their lives and what did he get for it? In the end he grows into an angry old man who ends up slamming his staff against the rock twice instead of following directions. (Numbers 20.8, 11) They help cost him the promise land. Downcast and tired he crossed the line and lost the promise land he had been headed for, for forty years.
WHY? WHY? WHY? (Deuteronomy 8.1-5)
Why did it take the Hebrews so long to get across the wilderness? The obvious answer is they did a poor job of spying and God punished them one year for each day they spied and did not trust God to give them the victory. Yet there is more. God wanted those forty years to help prepare them and to change them from negative downcast people into a people ready to conquer their enemies with his help. Moses has lost the promise land and is making final preparations to hand over the leadership. As he does this he gives directions to the Hebrews. He wants to be sure they are on the right path, especially since he will not be there to watch out for them. He starts by telling them to "Be careful to follow every command I am giving you today." Following directions was never their strong point. They had trouble seeing past the next meal or cup of water. Like spoiled children they throw a fit at the first hint of anything that did not go their way. To counter that Moses wanted them to "remember how the Lord your God led you all the way in the desert these forty years." Moses was pointing at all the positives God had done for them. He wanted them to remember the miracles in Egypt, the great escape through the sea, water, manna, quail, victories over enemies, clothes that did not wear out and even feet that did not swell. God had purpose in the forty years of wandering in the desert.
- God wanted to HUMBLE them. This meant following directions. This meant an attitude different than the one they started with. A humble person makes mistakes and learns from them. While a proud person will not admit their mistakes and will blame others like leaders (Moses) and even say it is God's fault. Sounds like the Hebrews to me.
- God wanted to TEST them. God did not want they to fail, he wanted them to see what he would do for them. A test is designed to show a person how much they have learned. The Hebrews seemed to fail most of their test. When they needed water a second time they did not turn to Moses and God but instead they turned against Moses and God. Every time God gave them a test to show how much they had learned they showed how poor they were.
- God wanted to TEACH them. They were so focused on the physical they never got to the spiritual. "Man does not leave on bread alone" should have been a hint that there was more but they did not see they needed to focus "on every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord."
- God wanted to DISCIPLINE them. This is not about punishment but about love. "As a man disciplines his son, so the Lord your God disciplines you." God wants to be like a father to us. Jesus taught us to pray to him this way. "Our father in heaven..." This is about having a personal relationship with God.
They had now been under the direct leadership of Moses and care of God for forty years and it was now time to see if they were ready to take the promise land. God had worked to humble them. He had tested them to get them ready for the real battles that were coming. He had worked to teach them to depend on him and his promises. He had disciplined them so that they would not be spoiled children but adults with faith in a living heavenly father.
This you MUST DO! Deuteronomy 8.6-9
Moses wanted the people to succeed even though he was not going to be there for them. He knew what it would take and even though he had come up short he was a lot closer to God than they were. "Observe the commands of the LORD your God." Moses knew that obedience is the first step toward a lasting relationship with God, "Walking in His ways." It is more than a momentary obedience it is a daily lifestyle that bring a person close to God. They were to "revere Him." The word revere can also be translated fear and has a deep hidden meaning within scripture. The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, knowledge and understanding. Yet is we are going to revere God or to fear Him it does not mean we cower worried about his anger or might. "To fear God is to hate evil." (Proverbs 8.13) This means we love God so much we turn from evil. We cannot stand to have evil as part of our lives. If someone wants to be close to God they cannot have evil thoughts or actions as part of their lives. Moses was imploring the Hebrews to draw close to God with their whole hearts.
Then Moses turned to help the people see that following God was the way to their greatest desires and needs. They had complained about lack of water for forty years yet in a short while they would enter a "land with streams and pools of water, with springs flowing in the valleys and hills." The wilderness was not a punishment it was a way to get them to where He wanted them to be. It was a way to a place where no one would ever be thirsty again. They had complained, grumbled and quarreled about the lack of food, meat and bread. They had remembered the onions, garlic, watermelons and fish they ate in Egypt. (Numbers 11.5) Just reading that list is a prescription of an upset stomach. God had prepared a "land with wheat and barley, vines and fig trees, pomegranates, olive oil and honey; where bread will not be scarce and you will lack for nothing." What a contrast to Egypt and the daily acid indigestion. The promise land would make the wilderness worth the trip. Everything they wanted was in the plans of God. Yet they had to wait because of their grumbling downcast spirits. They had missed God in their presence day in and day out.
Getting Your Spiritual Focus (Psalm 42)
They complained about the lack of water. The Psalmist knew thirst and he knew why God allowed it. "As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God." A spiritual thirst is part of God's plan for our lives. Three days is the limit of the human body without water and our spiritual souls are not designed to be any length of time without drinking with God.
They complained about the lack of meat. The psalmist knew what it was to eat at the table of God and what was needed to fill the soul. "My tears have been my food day and night, while men say to me all day long, “Where is your God?"" The world does not know or see God so they ask where he is or if he even exists. The believer knows God and knows that as he or she bows in earnest prayer bringing needs and request to God, He hears and answers our tearful request. We are fed and strengthened by our relationship with God.
They complained about the leadership. The psalmist knew who he was following and why. "Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God." Here is the psalmist talking to himself again. He has caught himself looking down and allowing life to get to him. He is showing his human side. Then he remembers who he is following. It is not the human leadership he needs to focus on. They will always fail him. He needs to first focus on his Savior, this deliverer of his soul, the one who has removed the barrier between him and the throne of God. The Hebrews wanted Moses to talk to God for them. (Exodus 20.19) They did not want to have personal contact. Yet the psalmist knew it was this contact with God, the ultimate leader, which was vital in the toughest of times.
A spiritual thirst drives us panting to God. A spiritual hunger will bring us in tears to our knees before God. A spiritual person will follow the Savior who is his God. This is the God who humbles us, tests us, teaches us and who disciplines us as part of His own family. We need to focus on Him and reject evil if we are going to receiver all He has prepared for us.
Spiritual Food and Drink John 6.30-35
Those who gathered around Jesus were not much different than those who gathered around Moses. The reminded Jesus that Moses "gave them bread from heaven to eat." They wanted Jesus to do a miracle and give them something to eat. Jesus refuted their belief system. “I tell you the truth, it is not Moses who has given you the bread from heaven, but it is my Father who gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” Jesus knew that real life came not from having temporary physical needs taken care of but from a deep and lasting relationship with God. The people around him were focused on physical hunger but Jesus was redirecting them toward spiritual hunger. Now the people wanted this new bread. “Sir,” they said, “from now on give us this bread." They were ready, right where he wanted them to be. Now he would teach them one of the greatest lessons they could ever learn. “I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty." This is the lesson that they never learned in the wilderness. They focused on the physical and missed the spiritual. They were always thirsty and hungry. They gathered manna, bread, for forty years and never saw the correlation with God. They were always looking down, and missed the God of love that was watching over them day and night. They could have used a lesson from the Psalmist who talked to himself. Why so downcast, hey I will look up and see my savior. Now those around Jesus would have to make the decision. Jesus told them, "I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me." (John 6.38)
Jesus, Jesus, Jesus!
When you are thirsty remember the Samaritan woman and the living water that is Christ Jesus. Remember that He has promised that those "who believes in me will never be thirsty." This points us to Jesus.
When you are hungry remember that Jesus is "the bread of life." That anyone who "comes to [him] will never go hungry." This points us to Jesus.
When you want to know who to follow remember Jesus told his disciples "I am the way and the truth and the life." Again and again we read that he called those he met to "follow me." Peter, James, John, Matthew and many more have done that and found the direction for their life waiting for them. They are never lost or alone. There was the one who heard the call of Jesus to "follow me" who turned away and did not follow. He was too attached to the world and could not let go. "He went away sad." (Matthew 19.22) The one to follow is Jesus.
The answer to the question is always going to be Jesus. You may want to know what Question I am talking about. It is the question the psalmist asks himself. "Why are you downcast, O my soul?" The answer was and always will be, Jesus. "Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God."
