Rejoice! – Psalm 42
As a deer longs for flowing streams, so my soul longs for you, O God.
2 My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When shall I come and behold the face of God?
3 My tears have been my food day and night, while people say to me continually, “Where is your God?”
4 These things I remember, as I pour out my soul: how I went with the throng, and led them in procession to the house of God, with glad shouts and songs of thanksgiving a multitude keeping festival.
5 Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you disquieted within me?
Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my help 6 and my God. My soul is cast down within me; therefore I remember you from the land of Jordan and of Hermon, from Mount Mizar.
7 Deep calls to deep at the thunder of your cataracts;
all your waves and your billows have gone over me.
8 By day the Lord commands his steadfast love, and 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 walk about mournfully because the enemy oppresses me?”
10 As with a deadly wound in my body, my adversaries taunt me, while they say to me continually, “Where is your God?”
11 Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you disquieted within me?
Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my help and my God.
This Psalm talks about the desire the Psalmist had for God.
It says, “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?” (v.1-2)
The Psalmist says that his agony was so deep, the people around him taunted him by asking, ‘Where is your God?’
Isn’t that a question familiar to us?
People who might not believe in God around us can ask that question. Even for us, in the time of difficulties can ask that same question.
However, we see how the Psalmist responds to this time of inquiring God.
It appears two times in this Psalm, which indicates that this Psalm might be a lyric of the song. (Then this might be the chorus, which is the highlight of this song.)
“Why are you down in the dumps, dear soul? Why are you crying the blues?
Fix my eyes on God— soon I’ll be praising again.
He puts a smile on my face. He’s my God.” (v. 5 & 11 – the Message)
The Psalmist tells us to fix our eyes upon the Lord. That is where our hope comes from. That moment is when we receive the strength to overcome all our difficulties. May we find the strength in Him only.
Let me share two praise songs, which is related to this Psalm.
Have a blessed day~
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