Psalm 42
Opening thoughts: A
casual read through this Psalm gives one the sense of a man who is out in a
boat on the ocean and how it shifts from
a day of calm seas to the movie a Perfect Storm. Another way to look at would be that of the
roller coasters of life. Throughout the
Psalm David goes in and out of the storms of his life back into the peaceful waters
of a God who is in control. (This Psalm may have been written during the time of
Absalom’s rebellion.) We will look at the Psalm today in a different way and go
through His trials and then go through what gave him peace.
The trials of life
Psalms 42:3 ( ESV )
Psalms 42:10 ( ESV )
10 As with a deadly wound in my
bones, my adversaries taunt
me, while they say to me
continually, “Where is your God?”
·
Why were his tears his food day and night? Like
his food it was the only thing that seemed to nourish him and keep him going.
Note also the pain that he felt was like a deadly wound in his bone. (A
physical aching within his body.) He was emotionally and physically drained
through this time of suffering.
·
Note he had adversaries who taunted him asking
him, “Where was his God?” In context, I don’t
believe these men were atheist as much as
they were like Job’s comforters. They saw David in his suffering and assumed
that God was not on his side. God was
against him.
·
It is also of importance that we see how often
David viewed this taunting from them as being. In both verses once again it was
CONTINUALLY. This is how Bad times feel when they come into our lives.
Psalms 42:5 ( ESV )
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£
·
Here are some key words to keep in mind on how
we feel when we go through trials. Note how verse 11 almost says the same
thing.
·
Why are you cast down-To sink down, to depress
or to stoop with pain. He also states this again in verse 6.
·
Why are you in turmoil within me-This has the
idea of a pain that causes mourning within us as we are in a painful emotional
uproar.
Psalms 42:9 ( ESV )
9 I say to God, my
rock: “Why have you forgotten
me? Why do I go mourning because
of the oppression of the enemy?”
·
His pain and suffering is so great that he feels
as though God has become oblivious to not only to his needs but to him. David
would use very similar words again in Psalms 22:1 and would be used of Christ
Himself at the cross. Matt. 27:46 (We may feel this way but we must also
realize that we are never alone.)
·
When we face persecution and the pressure placed
upon us by others we can even enter into a state of mourning. (Word used here
for mourning is like when one is putting upon himself sackcloth and ashes.)
Psalms 42:7 ( ESV )
7 Deep calls to
deep at the roar of your
waterfalls; all your breakers and your
waves have gone over me.
·
How bad can it all get? It is like waves upon
waves of sorrow being poured over us, like the noise of waterfalls, like
breakers and waves that are drowning us over and over again.
·
The heavier issue though as you look at these
verses is the word your is used 3 times in this verse alone. Not only does
David feel like he is forsaken but he feels as though God is now against Him.
Does all of that sound familiar to you? How many of us have “FELT”
these types of emotions in our lives? Yet, David constantly throughout this
roller coaster of life gives us hope over the feelings that can sometimes
control us when going through rough times. Here are some things that may help
you.
Hope
1.
Remember our pursuit.
Psalms 42:1-2 ( ESV )
·
Like a deer in a time of drought let us not
forget that He is there to give us hope.
·
Pants-To long for. (Prodigal son with the husk
in Luke 15) To desire so greatly it is our one focus.
·
Flowing streams-Not a stagnant pool but living
waters. This is what Jesus promised in John 4:10 to the Samaritan woman. Water
in not just something we can use but it is a necessity in our lives, without it
we will die!
·
I am reminded of Paul’s statements in Phil. 3:7-14.
He alone is our greatest pursuit. (I think of King Arthur’s pursuit of the Holy
Grail.) All is but refuse, without the knowledge of the Holy one.
·
When we can’t see Him he has not forsaken us or
departed or died but rather He is the Living God who desires to be with us. Our
greatest desire should be like David, I cannot wait to stand before Him when my
faith becomes sight.
2. Remember
the good days that we have had with Him.
Psalms 42:4 ( ESV )
4 These
things I remember, as I pour out my
soul: how I would go with the
throng and lead them in procession to the house of
God with glad shouts and songs of
praise, a multitude keeping festival.
·
Always keep in our hearts and minds through our
bad times of the days of his visible kindness shown towards us. David never
forgot those days of Joy that God had given him in the past. I think here in
this passage he remembered the day of joy of when he brought back the
tabernacle. He would dance before the Lord then and before Him whenever He led
in their worship.
3. Remember
His steadfast love.
By
day the Lord commands his steadfast love-Verse 8. His love for us will not
fade away but remain with us.
4. He
sings over us with His love.
and at night his song is with me-Verse 8. I
am reminded of Zephaniah 3:17. The emotion of a Father or a Mother who sings
over their little ones when they become fearful. (Favorite Disney movie Dumbo,
esp. the scene when Dumbo’s mother cradles him and the song Baby Mine is
played.) Christ walking upon the troubled seas to get to his disciples as he
says, “Fear not.”
5. He
is the God of our life.
a prayer to the God of my life-Verse 8.
He is the one who is in control of all things and He is in control of my life.
6. He
is my Rock.
I say to God, my
rock-Verse 9. As a believer Jesus is our very foundation. He will not be moved though my whole world may
crumble. He will remain.
Psalms 42:11 ( ESV )
11 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.
7. He
is our Hope and Salvation-We can rely upon Him and trust in Him for He is
trustworthy and will never, never fail us. He will deliver us and He will bring
us home to Him. This will all pass away but Jesus never will.
