When God Feels Far Away |
Matthew Maher
Vindicate me, O God, and plead my cause against an ungodly nation; oh, deliver me from the deceitful and unjust man! — Psalm 43:1
• Those who defend themselves have themselves as their own defender.
For You are the God of my strength; Why do You cast me off? Why do I go mourning because of the oppression of the enemy? — Psalm 43:2
• Ask Him your questions—but remember: He is the answer.
Oh, send out Your light and Your truth! Let them lead me; Let them bring me to Your holy hill and to Your tabernacle. — Psalm 43:3
Then I will go to the altar of God, to God my exceeding joy; and on the harp I will praise You, O God, my God. — Psalm 43:4
• Come to the altar of Christ. Come to Christ to be altered.
Why are you cast down, O my soul? And why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God; for I shall yet praise Him, the help of my countenance and my God. — Psalm 43:5
Discussion Questions
1. Psalm 43:1 opens with a cry for God to vindicate and defend. Is there a situation in your life right now where you've been tempted to defend yourself rather than trust God to be your defender? What makes it hard to let go and let Him fight for you?
2. The psalmist asks God honest, raw questions — "Why do You cast me off? Why do I go mourning?" — yet still turns to Him for answers. How do you personally navigate the tension between bringing your doubts and questions to God while still trusting that He is the answer?
3. Psalm 43:3 asks God to send His light and truth to lead the way. Where in your life do you most need God's light and truth to guide you right now, and what does it look like practically to follow that leading?
4. The message draws a contrast between coming to the altar and being altered by Christ. What would it look like for you to come to God not just with requests, but with a willingness to be changed by the encounter?
5. The psalm ends with the soul talking to itself: "Hope in God." When your emotions are low and your soul feels "cast down," what practices or truths help you preach hope to yourself rather than surrender to despair?