Psalms 42:1-11
BOOK TWO
Psalms 42–72
To the Chief Musician. A Contemplation of the sons of Korah.
1 As the deer pants for the water brooks,
So pants my soul for You, O God.
2 My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.
When shall I come and appear before God?
3 My tears have been my food day and night,
While they continually say to me,
"Where is your God?"
4 When I remember these things,
I pour out my soul within me.
For I used to go with the multitude;
I went with them to the house of God,
With the voice of joy and praise,
With a multitude that kept a pilgrim feast.
5 Why are you cast down, O my soul?
And why are you disquieted within me?
Hope in God, for I shall yet praise Him
For the help of His countenance.
6 O my God, my soul is cast down within me;
Therefore I will remember You from the land of the Jordan,
And from the heights of Hermon,
From the Hill Mizar.
7 Deep calls unto deep at the noise of Your waterfalls;
All Your waves and billows have gone over me.
8 The LORD will command His lovingkindness in the daytime,
And in the night His song shall be with me—
A prayer to the God of my life.
9 I will say to God my Rock,
"Why have You forgotten me?
Why do I go mourning because of the oppression of the enemy?"
10 As with a breaking of my bones,
My enemies reproach me,
While they say to me all day long,
"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 yet praise Him,
The help of my countenance and my God.
Why are we downcast or depressed even? Why do we get unsettled and restlessly troubled? The sons of Korah, gatekeepers of God’s house, (1 Chronicles 9:19) here give us the example in this contemplative song to lead us out of these thoughts and towards the LORD. The song starts with a desire to seek after God with an unquenchable thirst, a desire to find relief which can only be quenched in Him (John 4:10), just as a parched deer searches to find a drink or die. We should be moved in knowing God to have that same driving desire to drink of our Lord through His word and Spirit in the desert of desire for Him in this present evil age (Psalm 63:1). This thirst calls to our hearts that we may soon find ourselves in His presence at last, before His face forever. Our distance from God should make us feel like these psalmists, saddened from mockers asking to show where our God is, but then moving us to prayer. We pour out our hearts to our Lord when overwhelmed and downcast, remembering our times of worship and encouragement together in the assembly of His people (Acts 14:22, Hebrews 10:24-25). The question repeated here is for us as well: why are we downcast and disquieted? Because we have a certain hope of eternity and help in our present circumstances of our sanctification as we are conformed to Christ, we can praise Him for His presence in and with us, which is the greatest help of all! We remember His past faithfulness to us along our journey so far, and the deliverance first from eternal judgment and then from daily struggles. This gives us hope and strengthens weak knees (Isaiah 35:3, Hebrews 12:12) and hands wanting to give up as we give in to the difficulties of life. When waves of despair or troubles wash over like deep floods of a hurricane, we sing to the God of our lives who gives life and hope because of His lovingkindness given by grace. This song is our constant prayer. He is our Rock, the firm foundation we are being built upon (Mathew 7:25, Psalm 18:46, 62:6-7, 1 Peter 2:4-5, Ephesians 2:21-22). He does not forget or forsake us as Hebrews 13:5 assures each of us who are in Christ. This is essential to remember when we suffer long and do not see relief in sight, just as the sons of Korah sang from their hearts in this song. Why should we be downcast or despondent when we have such absolute and mighty hope? We should praise Him in the storms of life, not despair. This is our foundation of hope.
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