Psalm 42
Longing for God
For the choir director. A Maskil of the sons of Korah.
1As a deer longs for flowing streams,
so I long for you, God.
2I thirst for God, the living God.
When can I come and appear before God?
3My tears have been my food day and night,
while all day long people say to me,
“Where is your God?”
4I remember this as I pour out my heart:
how I walked with many,
leading the festive procession to the house of God,
with joyful and thankful shouts.
5Why, my soul, are you so dejected?
Why are you in such turmoil?
Put your hope in God, for I will still praise him,
my Savior and my God.
6I am deeply depressed;
therefore I remember you from the land of Jordan
and the peaks of Hermon, from Mount Mizar.
7Deep calls to deep in the roar of your waterfalls;
all your breakers and your billows have swept over me.
8The Lord will send his faithful love by day;
his song will be with me in the night —
a prayer to the God of my life.
9I will say to God, my rock,
“Why have you forgotten me?
Why must I go about in sorrow
because of the enemy’s oppression?”
10My adversaries taunt me,
as if crushing my bones,
while all day long they say to me,
“Where is your God?”
11Why, my soul, are you so dejected?
Why are you in such turmoil?
Put your hope in God, for I will still praise him,
my Savior and my God.
Reflection: Depression – an imperfect mental state
For further reading see John 14:4
The “Sons of Korah”, who wrote this psalm, are realists. They make clear that followers of God will go through times of being downcast. Times when “my soul pants for you, O God” (verse 1). Times when “my tears have been my food day and night” (verse 3). Times when memories of praising God in a crowd of people seem unreal (verse 4).
But the chorus, which repeats through Psalm 42, “for I will yet praise him”, is a promise that things will change. Praise is a path out.
Jesus gives us the promise of his Father’s house. An eternal house prepared for us. What better reason could we have to “not let our hearts be troubled?”
Prayer: Dear Father, I pray for all those who are in distress and troubled. I pray that they may yet praise you. Please help them know that when everything else fails, putting their hope in God is sure.