Psalm 42
Psalm 42 is a classic psalm that has no doubt encouraged believers for thousands of years. This is a psalm people put on their fridge, hang on their walls, or even put on their church bulletins. The beautiful imagery and metaphor of the psalmist’s soul longing for God as a deer longs for water helps us understand foundational truths about God.
The Psalmist was far north of Jerusalem near Mount Hermon (v. 6) and the distance from God was making his soul downcast. To put christianese to these verses, the psalmist was feeling spiritually depressed. To further explain, he may have been feeling like he was in a spiritual dry spell. Not only is the distance causing the psalmist to feel downcast, but he has mockers and scoffers urging him to doubt the presence of his God saying, “Where is this God of yours?” (v. 3, 10). Lastly, in his sorrow he has a memory of how magnificent it was being in close proximity to the Lord and leading people in worship to the very temple where God inhabited.
How does the psalmist respond to his spiritual depression?
First, he questions himself. He searches himself and asks, “Why am I downcast, o my soul?”. Notice he doesn’t just roll over, cave and say, “Oh well. I am downcast and that’s all I’ll ever be”. Sometimes when we search ourselves, we can find the root of what’s causing this spiritual rut. But, this takes effort and a lot of us, myself included, have had times where we don’t want to have to deal with our own thoughts and put the work in to better ourselves. Second, he establishes his hope in the Lord (v. 5,11). This hope is not wishful thinking that things will get better. This hope is a confidence that things will get better because this hope is in a God who is a rock that is immovable. Lastly, the hope he has is evidenced by his action. He will praise the Lord even when he really doesn’t feel like it.
So how do you get out of a spiritual rut when it feels like you’re longing for God but can’t even get a drop of His presence? Crack open your Bible. It’s the same concept as when there is a person who is on a strict workout plan and they still go to the gym even when they are tired and don’t feel like it. The most important time to read your Bible is when you really don’t feel like it. Find your hope in a God who is immovable. Lift your hands in worship when you feel the resistance pulling them down. Please God.