Salvaged sermon notes

Rob really has the patent on that word with Sasscer.
Be that as it is, I was cleaning out the car and found some sermon notes on the back of a Sunday bulletin. I think it is well worth repeating. I don't think I do Norris justice with my notetaking or editing, but now I can get rid of the bulletin. Hope you can follow. Otherwise I guess this is simply for my benefit.
Sermon is called, "Facing Despair," by Dr. Norris, on Psalm 43.

43:1Vindicate me, O God, and defend my cause
against an ungodly people,
from the deceitful and unjust man
deliver me!
2 For you are the God in whom I take refuge;
why have you rejected me?
Why do I go about mourning
because of the oppression of the enemy?

3 Send out your light and your truth;
let them lead me;
let them bring me to your holy hill
and to your dwelling!
4 Then I will go to the altar of God,
to God my exceeding joy,
and I will praise you with the lyre,
O God, my God.

5 Why are you cast down, O my soul,
and why are you in turmoil within me?
Hope in God; for I shall again praise him,
my salvation and my God.

The psalm speaks of loneliness/longing for God. The psalmist says it affects him so that he can't eat. He can only cry. This is a matter of the soul. "There is murder in my bones!" He feels like a rock being pummeled by a huge waterfall. "Where is God amdist this?" he asks. When was the last time you were so desperately honest with God? I suspect we are susceptible to not feeling the truth anymore. Yet the pledge has been done! When life is overwhelming, we do not feel what we know. And indeed, we are still jars of clay (II Cor. 4:17-18).
How does restoration come?
1) We can pretend - and stumble onwards - create barricades to prevent pain
Norris quoted the first stanza of William Blake's "A Poison Tree."

I was angry with my friend:
I told my wrath, my wrath did end.
I was angry with my foe;
I told it not, my wrath did grow.

And I water'd it in fears,
Night & morning with my tears;
And I sunned it with my smiles
And with soft deceitful wiles.

And it grew both day and night,
Till it bore an apple bright;
And my foe beheld it shine,
And he knew that it was mine,

And into my garden stole
When the night had veil'd the pole:
In the morning glad I see
My foe outstretch'd beneath the tree

2) Take a pill to dull our emotions.
3) We can be honest about our feelings by looking them in the eye.
There is no place for the believer to deny the honesty of his feelings.
He mentioned a novel: "The Blood of the Lamb" by Peter Denise. Apparently the main character shares these sentiments of despair in his soul.
The psalmist's sentiments are this: "My God, my rock, where are you? You are not there!"
But we must not forget that the anger of God was unleashed on Christ once for all for our sins. God is not deaf to us. He was deaf to His Son. He was not there for His Son. It is no longer, "where are you?", but "my salvation."
Hope now in God.