Psalms 42

Psalm 42

Book Two
Why Are You Cast Down, O My Soul?

    To the choirmaster. A Maskil^[a] of the Sons of Korah.

 ¹ As a deer pants for flowing streams,
   so pants my soul for you, O God.
² My soul thirsts for God,
   for the living God.
When shall I come and appear before God?^[b]
3 My tears have been my food
   day and night,
while they say to me all the day long,
   “Where is your God?”
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.

 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^[c] 6 and my God.

   My soul is cast down within me;
   therefore I remember you
from the land of Jordan and of Hermon,
   from Mount Mizar.
⁷ Deep calls to deep
   at the roar of your waterfalls;
all your breakers and your waves
   have gone over me.
⁸ By day the LORD commands his steadfast love,
   and at night his song is with me,
   a prayer to the God of my life.
⁹ I say to God, my rock:
   “Why have you forgotten me?
Why do I go mourning
   because of the oppression of the enemy?”
¹⁰ As with a deadly wound in my bones,
   my adversaries taunt me,
while they say to me all the day long,
   “Where is your God?”

 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.

It seems simple enough. Just as a deer is drawn to water from the stream, we are drawn to God to quench our thirst. He is what the psalmist is seeking. It is interesting how he phrases it as ,"My soul thirsts for the living God." He isn't looking for a temporary god that will soon pass, but he longs for a god who is alive and living in us. In verse 3, "My tears have been my food day and night. while they say to me all the day long, 'Where is your God?'” The psalmist is crying out that he has been in tears for so long while the world has just been pounding on him, "WHERE IS YOUR GOD?" It must have been so heartbreaking to hear that everyday, day in and day out.

In verse 4, he has the thought that, "You know what? I have gone over these things in my head over and over, wasting away my time. When it was time to worship, I was there, eager to arrive and praise God. Shouting praises, singing thanksgiving, celebrating, all of us, God's feast!" He knows he shouldn't care about how the world views him and antagonizes him, doubting his all powerful God. Verse 5 is kind of like a chorus to the psalm, "Why are you down in the dumps, dear soul? Why are you crying the blues? Fix my eyes on God soon I'll be praising again. He puts a smile on my face. He's my God." (The Message)

When he is sad, he knows to fix his eyes on the Lord. That the God that put a smile on his face will always be there. I really love the tag line, "He is my God." The esv says it, "He is my salvation and my God." I don't really think that he is taking ownership of God, but he is taking ownership of his salvation because it comes from God.

In verses 6-10, it seems like the psalmist is down again, but he thinks of God in the mountains and the waters of the earth. Still in sadness, he knows through God's steadfast love, He will deliver him from the torment of his persecution. God will take him from all these people shouting, "Where is your god?" And he rises up with that chorus again, "Why are you down in the dumps, dear soul? Why are you crying the blues? Fix my eyes on God soon I'll be praising again. He puts a smile on my face. He's my God." He finds comfort that as long as he keeps his eyes on God, he will be delivered from evil.