Memories. Some reading this and seeing the title will immediately think of the days when they were in their sins, and they were travelling “along with the throng” (crowd) on Broadway Avenue to Hell. Days of sin, sadness and emptiness – when the promising bubbles of fun and excitement burst so quickly, and all that remained was a sudsy wet spot in the palm of your hand. How glad you were to get off that road and leave that crowd.
But the Psalmist is writing about different memories. He has no difficulty recalling the happy – in fact, thrilling memories of leading a throng of worshippers along the road en route to the house of God. The writer was probably thinking of those happy Jewish festivals when thousands would gather to honour the Lord and keep His commands. Watch them go! Watch him go! Singing the hymns with lyrics that deeply touched his overflowing and throbbing heart, he praised His God. The hillsides reverberated with praise as the travelling singing worshippers moved down the road towards the house of God.
These things I remember, and I pour out my soul within me. For I used to go along with the throng and lead them in procession to the house of God, With the voice of joy and thanksgiving, a multitude keeping festival. Psalms 42:4
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Whatever happened to him that caused him to say: “I used to go along with that happy throng?” What came into his life that brought an end to those happy and thrilling days of sweet enjoyment of His God? How tragic that one who once sang at the top of his lungs the lyrics of praise – now is only ‘remembering’ those former days of devotion and love for God – but no longer experiencing such joy.
What caused his silent vocal cords and his absence from the crowd of travelling worshippers? Was it the sustained and continual attacks of the enemy? Was it a root of bitterness that grew into an enormous inner monster-plant? Was it a secret sin that eventually got the best of him and took him down? Or could it have been just plain old-fashioned discouragement from the circumstances and disappointments of life?
There are different ways to look at this Psalm, but for our purposes, we need to look at our own lives. Am I singing less? Is my heart not in it anymore? Am I just going through the motions? Am I only with God’s people physically, but the real me has left? What has happened?
The Psalmist is extremely concerned about the downward spiral in his life. But, thankfully, it is evident in the Psalm, his desire is once again towards God – desiring God, like a deer that has been thirsting for brook-water for days. Are you there yet? Are you ready to turn a critical corner in your life and return to the Lord? Are you thirsting more and more with each passing day?
Restoration begins with thoughts of God, with memories of Christ and profound sadness over having drifted and fallen so far. By the end of the Psalm, it seems like the writer is preaching to himself: “Why did you let yourself get in this condition? Return and refocus on God, for you surely know you will have plenty of reason to praise Him – not only now but forever into the future!”
Is it time for me to have a little preach to myself too?
Walk carefully and closely with the Lord today.
Warmly in Christ,
Peter Ramsay
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