For Those Who “Used To,” From Somebody Who Cares
For a number of years now, I have made a practice of starting my day by listening to the Bible. Sometime toward the end of each year, I choose a plan to which I can listen that will cover the entire Bible during the upcoming year. I have listened to the books of the Bible in the order in which they appear (Genesis through Revelation). I have listened to the books according to a chronological plan. When I do this, I may find myself listening to one of the books documenting historical events interspersed with books of prophecy, poetry, correspondence, etc. I’m sure that there are other plans which I’ve utilized in the past that I cannot remember at the moment.
This year, I’m using a plan that allows me to hear a section of the Old Testament along with a section of the New Testament each day. It, along with all of the other plans I’ve used, has proven to be very helpful.
Recently, a part of my daily listening included Psalm 42. I’ve read it before and I’ve heard it before. Even though that is the case, as I listened to it this time, I noticed something I’d never really noticed before.
You may know some of the background of this particular Psalm. Without going into a lot of historical detail, let me just mention that there is evidence within the Psalm that it is written by somebody (one of the “sons of Korah”) who for some reason no longer had access to the Temple. One author expressed the circumstances of the one who wrote the Psalm in this way:
For one reason or in some way, he was isolated from the temple and was unable to participate in its services, feasts, and festivals. In addition, he was surrounded by people who taunted him regarding his God. These circumstances combined to make him lonely and homesick for God. He yearned for an opportunity to worship Him in the magnificent temple in Jerusalem. (Eddie Cloer; Truth for Today Commentary; Psalms 1-50; pp. 585-586)
If you are familiar at all with this Psalm, it may be because of a song that contains some words found in it that sound very similar to its first verse:
As the deer pants for the water,
so my soul longs after you.
This is not the thought that captured my attention though. Instead it was these words found in verse four of the Psalm:
…I used to go with the multitude;
I went with them to the house of God,
With the voice of joy and praise,
When I heard (and then read again) those words, my thoughts went immediately to people I know who have isolated themselves from God and His people. Maybe something looked more attractive to them. Maybe they “got in with the wrong crowd.” Maybe they just “drifted away.” The “maybes” are almost endless.
I cannot help but think that these people – maybe somewhere deep inside of them – sometimes remember what it was like when they used to be close to God and His people and were actively involved in the cause of Christ. I cannot help but think that, at those times, there may be an odd combination of a smile when they remember how that used to be coupled with a feeling of regret about where they are now.
I truly believe that each of us is created with an inner longing for the peace, security, and sense of belonging that only comes from a close relationship with God. Sadly, many who once had all of that have tried to replace it with things that are much–very much–less satisfying. If that last sentence describes anybody who is reading these words, the One who loves you and the people who really care about you want you to come home. All of us regret some of the things we’ve done in our lives, but accepting that invitation would not be one of them!
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AUTHOR: Jim Faughn
