READ:
Psalms 42-43
Psalm 42 is one many can relate to. The
writer is thirsty and hungry for God. He compares his thirst to that of a deer
panting for water. An interesting thing about deer is that they don’t drink
from a stream until there is no threat to them and they feel entirely safe. It
seems the Psalmist is longing not just for refreshment from God, but also
safety and rest. He asks, “When can I go
to meet with God?” He talks about
his tears being his food day and night, and he just wants to get away from it
all. He wants to stop running and be in a place with God to receive respite
from the stresses and pain of life.
The Psalmist is heavy-hearted and
wrestling with difficulties. Yet he says ‘deep calls to deep’. What exactly
does this mean? If we could travel to the depths of the ocean there would be a
sense of quiet, calm and stability. Even if the surface of the water would be
roiling with tumultuous waves the depth of the ocean would not be affected.
‘The deep’ is that same place in our souls. Sometimes God doesn’t speak to our
circumstances or concerns. Rather, He calls out from the depth of Himself to
the depth of who we are and our identity. Some of us hear or sense this in
prayer, others in worship, and many of us when we are walking through our most
traumatic days. God becomes our Rock, our stability, and even though we can’t
necessarily pinpoint it, we know that the depth of our soul has been held,
carried, and changed by the heart of God.
Psalm 42 and 43 almost seem like two
parts of the same psalm. Psalm 42:5, 11 and Psalm 43: 5 are identical. As he
struggles with his depression and discouragement, being worn out and weary, he
realizes this struggle is not getting any better. So he reminds himself of
truth, not once, not twice but three times in these two chapters.
This is a solid model for us to follow.
When we are sinking into a pit of depression and darkness one very solid
practice we can take from this passage is that of speaking truth to our own
hearts and minds. As we can see in these two Psalms, we can’t just do it once.
We need to remind ourselves over and over of these four things:
- We need to deliberately put our hope in God.
- We must remember there will come a time when we will eagerly praise God again.
- We must recognize that although we may need help and resources to get us through the tough times, God alone is our Savior.
- Finally, we must declare our decision to choose Him as our God.
JOURNALING
AND PRAYER
1. When you think about your devotional
times, do they seem like a safe stream of water, a place and time where you can
receive refreshment, refuge and nourishment from the Lord? If so, thank the
Lord for the ways and times He has done this for you. If not, ask Him what
needs to change in order to sense His safety and provision for you. Ask God for
the courage to obey what He asks.
2. Write down a time when you sensed God
was carrying you, or when you could feel His presence very strongly. Take 5
minutes right now to ask the Lord to reveal Himself to your soul and to remove
the distraction of your circumstances so your mind can be fully engaged with
His presence and His Word. If possible, go to a quiet room where you can wait
for Him on your knees. While you pray, bring to the Lord someone who is going
through a time of turbulence. Ask God to share with them this sense of His
presence, of deep calling to deep.
3. Ask the Lord if there is a truth you
need to be speaking to your own heart today, maybe in response to depression, a
hurt, a lie you believe, or simply about who God is. Write down what He says.
Pray a prayer of commitment to speak that truth and believe it all day long.
