Short Devotion: Psalm 42

 Psalm 42:1 As a deer longs for flowing streams, so my soul longs for you, O God.

Psalm 42 tells the story of someone who is going through a hard and painful time. The psalmist has endured some personal suffering which has caused those around him to question God’s existence. The writer’s faithfulness to God has not protected him from this tragedy; in fact, it has made the burden of pain heavier to carry. In order to deal with this unhappy event, the person writes down his feelings and ends up crying to God in prayer.

Of all the psalms written in the Bible, this is the most human. Vulnerability and pain, bewilderment and frustration are all expressed by the psalmist – he longs for God’s comfort like a thirsty deer pants for water. He yearns for God’s compassion to lift up his weary soul.

It’s a beautiful psalm because it deals with pain and suffering honestly. The writer is freely permitted to question God, and not just to seek His comfort. It is a psalm that any one of us could write or recite when painful events occur. It is the raw edge of faith encountering the perplexity of God; it is the plaintive song of every person living on Earth.

The question that is asked and the longing that is sought are never really answered in the psalm. The writer still maintains his faith because he has no where else to go and no one else to turn to. He cannot let go of God despite what has happened and yet he seems to understand that God is with him, experiencing the same pain and enduring the same suffering. They are both in this together – human and divine – in a Christ-like moment of truth and frailty which foreshadows the Cross that is yet to come, for, just as the psalmist asks, “Why have you forgotten me, God?” - Jesus will also exclaim, “My God, my God. Why have you forsaken me?”

Prayer: Lord Jesus, we long for God, especially during troubled times and painful moments. Help us to endure and grant us faith to overcome. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.

 

One of the best renditions of this psalm is the modern song “As the Deer.” You can watch and listen to this beautiful interpretation at this Youtube link: https://youtu.be/UZv3jzOTE70

 

 

Free Daily Devotions: Hidden Surprises - Psalm 42

Psalm 42: 10 My bones suffer mortal agony as my foes taunt me, saying to me all day long,” Where is your God?"

They say that life is full of hidden surprises and this morning that turned out to be true. One of the contractors dug through a hidden gas main at the church, causing an emergency. Within minutes, fire engines and utility trucks swarmed into our parking lot. Local businesses were all shut down and for about an hour everything was intense. An explosion could have occurred at any time, but thankfully the professionals managed to cap the pipe and quickly repair it.

This all happened because the pipe was not where it was supposed to be. A painted yellow line was meant to indicate where the pipe actually was, but it turns out that the gas pipe was twelve feet away from the line. Someone somewhere had made a serious miscalculation, which could have resulted in a fatal explosion. If the pipe had been properly located, this mistake would not have occurred. Knowing where the pipe actually rests is crucial to our church building expansion.

The writer of Psalm 42 must have been deeply troubled and tormented. His painful experience causes those around him to question whether or not God actually existed. The inevitable question of ‘where is God when it hurts?’ must have crossed his mind, so he dug deep into his soul to find an answer. And that’s where he found God, right at the heart of his suffering, right in the midst of his pain.

We each go through ‘dark nights of the soul’ and faith crises. In the midst of heartbreak, illness, and sorrow, it’s very easy to lose our hold of God, But, as one of my Hebrew professors used to say, “It’s not our grasp of God that is important, but that God still has a grasp of us.” In other words, knowing where God is located is not as crucial as God knowing where we are.

Prayer:             Lord God, life is full of hidden surprises and we seek Your presence every day. It helps us to know that You are with us, no matter what we experience or endure. Reveal to us of Your whereabouts this day and remind us that Your knowledge of us is far more important than our knowledge of You. In Christ’s Name, we pray. Amen.

John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. If you would like to comment on today’s message, please send John an email to pastor@erinpresbyterian.org.

Today’s image is one of John’s digital glass drawing of his Psalm’s series. It depicts Psalm 42. A larger version can be viewed online here: http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3399/3311065206_fe9bd5545f_b.jpg