Read Psalm 42
For the director of music. A maskil of the Sons of Korah.
1 As the deer pants for streams of water,
so my soul pants for you, my God.
2 My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.
When can I go and meet with God?
3 My tears have been my food
day and night,
while people say to me all day long,
“Where is your God?”
4 These things I remember
as I pour out my soul:
how I used to go to the house of God
under the protection of the Mighty One
with shouts of joy and praise
among the festive throng.
5 Why, my soul, are you downcast?
Why so disturbed within me?
Put your hope in God,
for I will yet praise him,
my Savior and my God.
6 My soul is downcast within me;
therefore I will remember you
from the land of the Jordan,
the heights of Hermon—from Mount Mizar.
7 Deep calls to deep
in the roar of your waterfalls;
all your waves and breakers
have swept over me.
8 By day the Lord directs his love,
at night his song is with me—
a prayer to the God of my life.
9 I say to God my Rock,
“Why have you forgotten me?
Why must I go about mourning,
oppressed by the enemy?”
10 My bones suffer mortal agony
as my foes taunt me,
saying to me all day long,
“Where is your God?”
11 Why, my soul, are you downcast?
Why so disturbed within me?
Put your hope in God,
for I will yet praise him,
my Savior and my God.
Go Deeper
As we begin reading Psalm 42 today, some of us might have a soundtrack slowly rising in the background of our minds. The first verse served as the basis for a popular worship song written in 1984, “As the Deer.” It offers a calming melody and words of devotion to God. Reading this full psalm paints a different picture.
This is a gritty, groaning, gutsy chapter depicting the back-and-forth struggle between the writer’s earthly feelings and heavenly faith. We can almost hear the two different voices pleading and praising in the author’s mind and heart: one relaying suffering and the other reminding the solution. For example:
Suffering: My tears have been my food, day and night, while people say to me all day long,“Where is your God?” (v. 3)
Solution: These things I remember as I pour out my soul: how I used to go to the house of God under the protection of the Mighty One with shouts of joy and praise among the festive throng. (v. 4)
Suffering: Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? (v. 5)
Solution: Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God. (v. 5)
We often avoid sharing our suffering with God. We have been misled to believe God doesn’t want us to speak of it or to question it. When suffering comes, and it absolutely will, many well-intentioned friends skip over validating our pain and refrain from sitting in sympathy as we suffer. Instead, we are given “coffee cup” scripture and paraphrased principles. We are encouraged to “focus on the good” with the unspoken direction to silence the difficult. There is some hidden undercurrent that acknowledging the suffering seems unholy.
But here’s the thing: God hears both. We do not need to hide our pain or protect Him from our questions. We do not need to feel shameful or shaky in our faith because of our suffering. Rather, God’s power is perfected in our weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9), our faith is strengthened in our suffering (1 Peter 5:9), and we are refined through the fire of challenges (Isaiah 48:10).
So we can share our suffering with God and proclaim Him as the solution – all with the same faith and in the same breath. We can bring our gritty, groaning, gutsy pleas to His feet and praise His faithfulness. We can claim the refrain of Psalm 42 for ourselves:
Put your hope in God,
for I will yet praise him,
my Savior and my God.
Questions
- Have you ever tried to hide your suffering from God or felt ashamed for questioning Him? Why?
- Recall a time of suffering. Was your faith strengthened through the experience? If so, praise God for His faithfulness. If not, admit to God the challenge and ask for His guidance.
- How can you help a friend who is suffering? In what ways can you acknowledge their suffering and praise God for His goodness during that time?
By the Way
This Psalm opens the second book of Psalms and is written for the Sons of Korah. The Sons of Korah were descendants of a branch of Levites. While you can learn of Korah’s rebellion against Moses in Numbers 16, his descendants became leaders in choral and orchestral music during David’s time.
3 responses to “Psalm 42”
1 As the deer pants for streams of water,
so my soul pants for you, my God.
David’s longing for God is as urgent and life-sustaining as thirst. This is a deep spiritual craving, not a casual devotion. May I be likewise.
Shane & Shane’s rendition of the song based in this verse: https://youtu.be/sVoQjxVGy-0?si=j5zSMeAr7kk0dJy2
2 My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God?
Another way to put this “You know how a deer desperately seeks high and low for the life-giving rescue of a flowing mountain stream? That’s how desperately everything in me needs God’s rescue now!” Stephen Posey
Thirsty? Have you ever been dehydrated? It is a very physical response. So many factors of our being depend on water. So what about with God? Life without Him in the picture or only when convenient kinda like water. Not good for us at all! We all need to drink from the living water more than just once a day. Just keep thinking about water and how just one time a day drinking is not enough to sustain you.
God “You alone are my heart’s desire and I long to worship Thee.” I want, desire, imagine how every morning my soul, my entire being wants to commune with You. God You are better than Christmas morning or arriving at the beach, stepping into the water moments. God thank You for desperation of desiring You above all things in this world. God You are so amazing and beyond describability wonderful. Thank You for Your grace and mercy being new every morning. Thank You for Your hesed love overwhelming all life’s situations to give You glory and honor in all I say and do. God let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight. I do believe, help my unbelief. God give me Your love goggles for all that I am around today. Thank You for Holy Spirit to guide me in the minutes of this day in Jesus name amen.
WOOHOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Surrender, honesty, confession, praise—these themes flow through this Psalm lack a soothing balm for a weary soul as a reminder that our true hope remains in the Lord whatever trial we face. In an ever changing world, he remains our constant source of protection, hope and love.