Rejoicing in Tribulation

“1 As the deer pants for streams of water so my soul pants for you, O GOD. 2 My soul thirsts for GOD for the living GOD. When can l go and meet with GOD? 3 My tears have been my food day and night, while men say to me all day long, “Where is your GOD? 4 These things l remember as l pour out my soul: how l used to go with the multitude leading the procession to the house of GOD, with shouts of joy and thanksgiving among the festive throng. 5 Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in GOD. For l will praise Him and my Saviour and my GOD. 6 My soul is downcast within me therefore l will remember you from the land of the Jordan and the heights of Hermon- from mount Mizar. Deep calls for deep in the roar of your waterfalls; all your waves and breakers have swept over me. 8 By day the LORD directs His love at night His song is with me – aprayer to the GOD of my life. 9 I say to GOD my rock, why have you forgotten me? Why must l go about mourning, oppressed by the enemy? 10 My bones suffer mortal agony as my foes taunt me saying to me all day long where is your GOD? 11 why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in GOD for l will yet praise Him, my Saviour and my GOD.

Introduction
 Psalm 42 was written by David at the time when he was in the wilderness. This was the time when Saul was after him and he was hiding in the land of philistine.
 This was the time when David had run away from Jerusalem, a place of his comfort, a place where he was effective and a place where he used to be and operated efficiently and effectively.
 It was also the time when David pretended to be insane in order to avoid being killed.
 It was a time when David was going through fiery times but at the same time knowing that he has been anointed to be King of Israel, a replacement to Saul
 Psalm 42 is a cry of a man removed from the outward ordinance and worship of GOD, from the sighing long loved house of his GOD.
 At the same time it depicts the voice of a spiritual believer under depression, longing for the renewal of the divine presence, struggling with doubts and fears and yet holding his ground by faith in the living GOD.

Sermon
 I know most of us can relate to the situation David was in. It is part of a Christian life that we have
to pass through tribulation, a time when we are taken away from the place of our comfort and
effectiveness. A time when you feel that GOD is far away and you cannot understand why things
are happening the way they are happening. A time when things are becoming abnormal away from
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what has been normal. This could be a time when you may have lost a place where your source of
income was, a time when putting a meal on the table is difficult, a time when you are nursing a
sick person in the family, a time when you are suffering beyond what you never expected.
 The most difficult question has always been that how do l stay strong in this situation. It is a moment where even finding strength to worship and praise is difficult. Brethren; l want to encourage you that it is not abnormal to feel that way and find yourself in that situation. Few pages before psalms we have the book of Job. Job was a man who GOD himself had a testimony of him as being a righteous person at his time. I don’t know if GOD will bear a testimony of you at this time as Job? However we also see Job passing through time of darkness regardless of him
being righteous.
 Brethren we are not of the world and as long as we are in this world there will come a time of tribulation. I know some have passed it and some are yet but be assured that it will come. In John 16:33 Jesus in His last words to the disciples told them that in this world you will have trouble
which means it is an assurance that we will pass trouble regardless of your stand with GOD.
 A moment of tribulation is very key in our journey of salvation as it works out to ensure we are not
dependent on our own thoughts and things of the world but we are brought to a place where
dependence upon GOD alone is required.
 The big question is how do we react and respond in times of tribulation? GOD declares in His word that He is a consuming fire. Now fire has two characteristics: it develops and also it consumes. Fire is known for burning wood into ashes and also refining iron to a good metal.
 Now at the time of tribulation one can either be developed or be consumed. There are those who lose their faith, lose trust in GOD and backslide while there are those whose trust and faith in GOD is built. One thing that tribulation works in your life is that it brings out what is stored inside you. It brings the picture out on whether you are wood that is to be burnt into ashes or you are iron that is ready to be refined more.
 How we respond at a time of tribulation is very key. In Psalms 42:2 David says his soul thirsts for GOD, meaning He was yearning for GOD to manifest in His situation. It also means He was desiring to have an encounter with The LORD. In Psalms 42:11 David questions His soul “why downcast o my soul? Why so disturbed within me? He then gives an answer that put your hope in GOD, for l will yet praise Him, My saviour and My GOD.
 Brethren l want to encourage you that at the time of your tribulation, is not a time to be sad, it is not a time to fear or doubt, is not a time to be downcast but it is a time to rejoice in The LORD. It is a time to yearn for GOD, It is a time to thirst for GOD. David knew the secret of life and that is the absolute secret that would like you to be encouraged with.
 It is time to hunger for GOD, it is time to respond to the things of GOD positively by singing a song of praise to Him and rejoice in Him. Our hunger that is inside and our longing can only be satisfied by GOD and that is the main reason we should hunger for GOD.
 Now on the contrary how do you know you are not hungering for GOD? This is the time when scriptures do not interest you, reading the bible is not a priority in your life, a time when worship does not interest you, a time when prayer does not have a priority in your life. This is when you abandon the true worship and go back to your old past of sin.
 It should be noted that at your time of tribulation, you may be faced with temptation of backsliding

but l want to encourage you that it is not yet time to do that but it is time to press on and rejoice in the LORD. It is time to confront your inner self that is discourage and look upon GOD. It is time to reach out to brethren to stand with you so that you may not fall away but continue to stand the way David questions His soul in Psalms 42:5.
 The country and the world currently is facing the Corona Virus Pandemic. Although some of you may have not conducted the disease but am sure we are in one way or another facing the effects of the pandemic. There are those who have lost jobs, those who it is hard to make ends meet and even those who are in fear and doubt. I want to encourage you that it is time to rise and confront that situation. It is time to hope in GOD and trust in Him only and not look how your past was. I do assure you that The LORD who is in heaven shall hear us when we rise and sing him a praise and glorify Him. He shall grant us victory and as Job our situation shall be over. It is just a season that
we are in for a little while but we shall get over it.
 In Habakkuk 3:17 the word of GOD says:
“Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet l will rejoice in GOD my Saviour. The sovereign LORD is my strength; He makes my feet like the feet of a deer He enables me to go on to the height”
Beloved brothers and sisters l encourage you that let us continue to rejoice in The LORD through reading the word worshipping Him, praising Him and putting our hope in Him for the Sovereign

LORD is our strength
 In the book of John 16:33 Jesus in His last words to the disciples said;
“I have told you these things so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” I encourage you that let us take heart for our LORD Jesus Christ overcame it all at the cross and He is assuring us that His peace is with us. May the peace of the LORD be with you in your
families, in your houses and where you are at the moment as you rejoice in the LORD. Amen.