Despair can be debilitating. When people have no hope in a relationship or a situation, they would stop working at it. What should the people of God do to overcome despair? This psalm gives us some guideline in going about it.
Commentary:
Psalm 42:1. David was prompted to write this psalm by his circumstance and surrounding. David was probably in Mount Hermon fighting a war. Mount Hermon is located north of Jerusalem; the mountain had river stream.
Verse 1 was a picture of a deer drinking from river. David was moved to write the psalm because he saw how the deer was attracted by the water and was not deterred even by his presence. There at that moment, David realized that he too longed for God just as much as the deer thirsted for the water.
Psalm 42:2. David wanted to be before God. In the context of his days, he was not thinking about having a quiet devotion time, but he was longing to worship God in the temple in Jerusalem (v. 4).
Psalm 42:3. Why did David cry? It was unlikely to be caused the enemies’ taunting. Rather David was feeling despair because of the lack of the evidence of God’s presence in his current situation.
Psalm 42:4-6. What did the psalmist do with his despair? There are three things here that we ought to take notes. Firstly, he said he called out to God in his situation (v. 6). Secondly, he remembered the good time that he had in serving God (v. 4). Lastly, he relied on his faith in God to administer to his soul. In verse 5, David’s spiritual mind spoke to his emotional soul. He was determined to trust in God not based on the current circumstances but based on his faith. God’s provision in the past was the strong indication that God cared about him.
Psalm 42:10-11. Circumstance might not have changed, but David was determined to hope in the Lord. He just wanted to give praise to God, for the Lord was his help.
Meditation:
Life is a roller coaster. It has ups and downs. When we are going down, we can feel like we are never going to go up again. In times like that, people need to do the three things that David did.
People need to turn to God. He is the unfailing strength. Others may fail, but the Lord can come through.
People need to start counting on the service that they have given in God’s name. This is not just about performance, but about God remembers what we give in Jesus’ name. God never forgets our dedication to him. Our labor in God is never in vain.
People need to recall the good times God has provided. Faith is not blind but is built through the encounters of God over the years. Faith starts when we put our trust in Jesus Christ for our eternal life. Knowledge that we did not work for our salvation but that we are saved through God’s grace is our assurance that God loves us. When the Heavenly Father can love us with the life of His Son, there is nothing else that He would withhold for our good. Faith is then built through the provision that God has given over the year. Every provision, miracle, and encounter affirm that God cares for us. With that faith, we can assuredly tell our soul that God will provide.
Prayer:
Dear Heavenly Father, we thank you that you have given your Son Jesus for our greatest need. We thank you that you have continually provided for us. Forgive us for our lack of faith when we become despair. We pray that we seek after the Holy Spirit and follow the prompting. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.