Category: Psalm 42

I say to God my Rock, “Why have you forgotten me? Why must I go about mourning, oppressed by the enemy?”  My bones suffer mortal agony as my foes taunt me, saying to me all day long, “Where is your God?”

Why are you so downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise Him, my Savior and my God (Psalm 42:4).

After you have panicked

After you have vented

After the righteous indignation and the self-indulgent pity party

After you have wept, and screamed, and smashed little porcelain figurines

quiet comes, and the question:

Will you still praise him?

(*hint: the answer should be Yes)

Happy Wednesday, Beloved

By day the Lord directs his love, at night his song is with me–a prayer to the God of my life (Psalm 42:8).

When I’m stressed, I don’t know which is worse–

Day, when I have to deal with all the garbage that is arrayed against me, or

Night, when I can’t sleep because I can’t escape all the things I didn’t do right today and probably won’t accomplish tomorrow.

And yet HIs love is with me, day or night or twilight or dawn or sunset or sunrise or gloaming.

He is the God of my life.

And yours

All will be well, Beloved.

Happy Tuesday

Deep calls to deep in the roar of your waterfalls; all your waves and breakers have swept over me (Psalm 42:7).

Water is an interesting thing.

It is necessary for life and delightful in a tall glass with ice, but it can also 

crush, 

drown, 

sweep away.

It can be wild and uncontrollable and utterly unstoppable.

All in all, a pretty solid metaphor for the sorrow and pain David is feeling.

And maybe not just David.

Beloved, when the water threatens to sweep you away, remember that you have an Anchor.

And your Anchor holds.

Happy Monday, Beloved

My soul is downcast within me; therefore I will remember you from the land of the Jordan, the heights of Hermon–from Mt. Mizar (Psalm 42:6).

Whatever

Whenever

However

Whoever 

Wherever God takes you in this life, remember that it is He who takes you.

You know, the One who 

loves you and

calls you and

keeps you and

guides you and

redeems you.

He’s got you, Beloved.

Happy Friday

Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God. (Psalm 42:5)

What, you never talk to yourself?

Sure you do.

That’s what the Psalmist is doing here. He’s giving himself a pep talk, looking in the mirror and saying “Suck it up, Boyo! God is still God, and you’re gonna praise him, come what may!”

Kinda one part cheerleader, two parts drill sergeant.

I love this. I love that the Psalmist is not giving in to despair, nor is he letting his emotions rule the day. He is making a conscious decision that he will praise God.

And it is a matter of will.

Lord, let me hope in you, even when I see no hope. Let me praise you even when I don’t feel like it. 

Happy Thursday, Beloved.

These things I remember as I pour out my soul: how I used to go with the multitude, leading the procession to the house of God, with shouts of joy and thanksgiving among the festive throng (Psalm 42:4).

So…church this Sunday.

You excited?

As the Psalmist writes this, he is unable to go to the temple. Don’t know why–maybe he has been carried off by a foreign army, maybe he is sick or disgraced in some way. Whatever it is, it’s resulting in mocking by the ungodly and anguish in his soul.

And what is on his mind, in the midst of all this trouble?

He wants to go to church.

He wants to lead the crowd, singing at the top of his lungs and crying “Hallelujah” from the pews/folding chairs.

Because of his circumstances, he can’t.

But you can.

Will you?

Happy Wednesday, Beloved.

My tears have been my food day and night, while men say to me all day long, “Where is your God?” (Psalm 42:3)

When life is hard, the world is watching.

When you are at your lowest, they wait and wonder how you will respond.

Perhaps they mock, or taunt, or ridicule.

Perhaps they simply stand back to see how you handle this dark day.

You see, though they may not show it, they want to see how real God is 

to you

for  you

in you. 

This is your chance, Beloved.

This is your witness.

When the tears pour out

let your heart hold firm

that the world may see

and know

that you are Beloved.

As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God?  (Psalm 42:1-2).

Does time with God feel like a precious, priceless gift

or 

a chore,

something to be sandwiched between

checking your news feed

and 

racing to the shower?

I’m not accusing you, Beloved.

I’m just looking in the mirror.

Father, give me the desire for you, the hunger, the thirst, the aching need that can only be met by the One who knows me completely

and loves me anyway. 

Amen, Beloved?

Happy Monday

I say to God my Rock, “Why have you forgotten me? Why must I go about mourning, oppressed by the enemy?”  My bones suffer mortal agony as my foes taunt me, saying to me all day long, “Where is your God?”

Why are you so downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise Him, my Savior and my God (Psalm 42:4).

After you have panicked

After you have vented

After the righteous indignation and the self-indulgent pity party

After you have wept, and screamed, and smashed little porcelain figurines

quiet comes, and the question:

Will you still praise him?

(*hint: the answer should be Yes)

Happy Thursday, Beloved

By day the Lord directs his love, at night his song is with me–a prayer to the God of my life (Psalm 42:8).

When I’m stressed, I don’t know which is worse–

Day, when I have to deal with all the garbage that is arrayed against me, or

Night, when I can’t sleep because I can’t escape all the things I didn’t do right today and probably won’t accomplish tomorrow.

And yet HIs love is with me, day or night or twilight or dawn or sunset or sunrise or gloaming.

He is the God of my life.

And yours

All will be well.

Happy Wednesday, Beloved