Psalm 42 - Streams of Water

Read: Psalm 42 vs 1-11

Today we begin ‘Book II’ of the Psalms’, a journey that will take us, God willing, from Psalm 42 through to Psalm 72. The Psalms give voice to the feelings and thoughts of individual believers at specific moments in their lives. So for example today, Psalm 42 begins, ‘As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul, pants for you, my God.’

However at the same time these individual Psalms were written to be heard with a community of faith, so Psalm 42 is entitled ‘A maskil (some kind of musical term) of the Sons of Korah.’

There is a certain discipline in listening to the voices of other people. There is a certain selflessness in allowing how someone else is feeling to be heard when we gather to worship. Perhaps the fact that so many of the Psalms are voiced by individuals is a reminder that when we gather we do so each with our own individual thoughts and feelings. How every person feels and thinks, on the day, is important and valid.  

Psalm 42 is written by someone who is at a place where they feel as if they don’t know where to go to meet with God. This is breaking their heart (vs 2). They remember past times ‘going to the house of God’ and feeling safe and joyful there as they gathered with others (vs 4), but for some reason they can no longer do this.

This recurring feeling of being downcast weighs heavily upon them (vs 5, 6, 11). However it is in this moment that they place renewed hope in God (vs 5, 11) and that they find a new and very personal experience of his guidance by day and his joy by night (vs 8). They look to a day when once again they will praise their Saviour and their God.

Psalm 42 reminds us to stop, to think and to listen to how others are finding these times. It is important that we hear these voices. God hears these voices, and in that truth we all find hope.

Prayer: Lord help me to think today about how others are feeling. Thank you that all tru hope comes from you.