God is the friend of the honest doubter

"Judge (vindicate) me, O God, and plead my cause...O deliver me from the deceitful and unjust man. For thou art the God of my strength: why dost thou cast me off? Why go I mourning because of the oppression of the enemy? O send out thy light and thy truth: let them lead me; let them bring me unto thy holy hill, and to thy tabernacles. Then will I go unto the altar of God, unto God my exceeding joy: yea, upon the harp will I praise thee, O God my God. 5 Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me? hope in God: for I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God" (Psalm 43:1-5).

In the middle of the Psalm writer's petitions we find a cry of lament. He cries out to God saying, "why dost thou cast me off..." "God is the friend of the honest doubter who dares to talk to God rather than about him. Prayer that includes an element of questioning God may be a means of increasing one's faith. Expressing doubts and crying out about unfair situations...show one's trust in God and one's confidence that God should and does have an answer to humanity's insoluble problems."

Before the Psalmist gave his honest lament he affirmed that God was his strength. And then he followed his lament with, "Why go I mourning because of the oppression of the enemy." I wonder if the Psalmist is questioning God again or himself for his lack of trust in God? But then he makes this request to the Lord, "O send out thy light and thy truth: let them lead me; let them bring me unto thy holy hill, and to thy tabernacles." The Psalmist is praying and asking God to open his eyes and ears—to reveal himself to him in a way that brings him into God's Holy presence. Do you regularly pray in this way? Too often when we pray we are just seeking God's hand and not God's face. To see and savor the glory of God is what we were made for. But sadly most Christian when and if they do get around to praying are only seeking to benefit from what his hand can give and not longing for God Himself.

After praying for God to send His light and truth the Psalmist describes what he will do when he comes into the presence of God. He says, "Then will I go unto the altar of God, unto God my exceeding joy: yea, upon the harp will I praise thee, O God my God." Notice that when we seek God and affirm who he is, when we honestly cry out to him and express how we feel, when we ask him to send us his light and truth and see him for who he is, we will desire to lay our lives down on the altar. We will surrender to him and we will know the exceeding joy of God and praise him for who he is.

The Psalmist closes his Psalm of petition, lament and praise by preaching to himself—by talking to himself saying, "Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me? hope in God: for I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God." It’s been said that most of our unhappiness is the result of us listening to ourselves rather than talking to ourselves. Is your soul cast down? Petition the Lord, tell him that you long for and desire to see Him and know Him. Be intimately honest with God about how you feel. Come into his presence with praise and thanksgiving. And in His presence present yourself as a living sacrifice, Holy and acceptable unto Him. Preach to yourself and encourage yourself in the Lord, who is your hope, who is the health of your countenance and your God.