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).  At the start of the Psalm, the writer, like many of us do in times of trouble and distress,  feels  abandoned by God, and is in deep mourning (verse 2).  He cries out with this morning's verse. The commentators see the word “light” as shorthand for “the light of Your countenance,” which comes many times in Scripture (i.e. Psalm 4:6). It speaks of favour,  as when you are given a dazzling smile, the exact opposite of when someone is angry and their facial expression seems dark. We need both God's favour and His truth. We need to know for example that He will never leave us, nor forsake us (Hebrews 13:5). But knowing these things intellectually is not enough,  we need the New Testament equivalent of being brought to His holy hill, His Tabernacle.  Under the old Covenant the Tabernacle was the place where God dwelt. For us under the New covenant God our bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit and that is where He dwells.

But, as I say there are times when we might feel abandoned.  Feelings and emotions are a gift of God. If there were no feelings there would be no joy,  or peace, or the deep affections of loving and being loved. But emotions are fickle and can get out of control.  We need to learn, with the Psalmist,  to direct our negative emotions to draw, and sometimes to drive,  us back to God. The Christian already has His favour “If God is for us who can be against us” (Romans 8:31), and we all have access to His truth, His Word. I need the security of His truth, but I also need the comfort of His presence (2 Corinthians 1:4).


I keep saying this, but research has shown that thoughts and feelings are intricately intercommunicated. When we dwell on a particular thought,  it amplifies the emotion that is attached to it whether good or bad. That is why resentment is so destructive, and why grumbling and complaining is a sin (Philippians 2:14). These things keep us stuck in negativity. We need, again with the Psalmist,  to instruct ourselves, and to start by asking “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” (verse 5). Or again we can follow Paul's instructions to replace our anxiety with all kinds of prayer, not forgetting thanksgiving. In this way we can claim the promise that His peace will guard our hearts (Philippians 4:6,7).

Father,  please bless us and keep us. LORD please make Your face to shine upon us, and be gracious to us; LORD please let the light of  Your countenance shine upon us,  and give us Your Shalom, Your peace (Numbers 6:24-26).  Please   send Your light and Your truth,  and grace us with Your presence, in Jesus Name Amen