Psalm 42
Longing for God and His Help in Distress
To the leader. A Maskil of the Korahites.
1 As a deer longs for flowing streams,
so my soul longs for you, O God.
2 My soul thirsts for God,
for the living God.
When shall I come and behold
the face of God?
3 My tears have been my food
day and night,
while people say to me continually,
“Where is your God?”4 These things I remember,
as I pour out my soul:
how I went with the throng[a]
and led them in procession to the house of God,
with glad shouts and songs of thanksgiving,
a multitude keeping festival.
5 Why are you cast down, O my soul,
and why are you disquieted within me?
Hope in God, for I shall again praise him,
my help 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 thunder of your torrents;
all your waves and your billows
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 must I walk about mournfully
because the enemy oppresses me?”
10 As with a deadly wound in my body,
my adversaries taunt me,
while they say to me continually,
“Where is your God?”11 Why are you cast down, O my soul,
and why are you disquieted within me?
Hope in God, for I shall again praise him,
my help and my God.
This Psalm is the inspiration for a praise chorus that appears as #626 in our Glory to God hymnal.
The words recreate the image I have in my mind of a deer being refreshed at a pool of cool water:
As the deer pants for the water, so my soul longs after You.
You alone are my heart’s desire, and I long to worship You.
You alone are my strength and shied. To You alone may my spirit yield.
You alone are my heart’s desire and I long to worship You.
I love the image. And I long to emulate the deer.
Prayer
I long for Your presence in my, life, Dear Lord. Satisfy me today with your soothing grace. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.
