Why are you in despair, O my soul? And why have you become disturbed within me? Hope in God, for I shall again praise Him For the help of His presence. Psalms 42:5

Something occurred to me this week that I don’t think I had ever noticed in Psalm 42. I most know Psalm 42 because of the song “As the Deer.” If you know that song, just writing “As the Deer” probably puts the melody in your head.

“As the Deer panteth for the water, so my soul longeth after Thee…” It’s a cry from a heart longing to worship God. If you don’t know the song, look it up. I realized this week that I hadn’t read the rest of the Psalm.

The picture becomes clear in the rest of the Psalm that the Psalmist isn’t thirsting for God because he is a hyper-spiritual monk living every moment to worship God. He’s thirsting for God because he’s missing Him. He’s wondering where God is. He’s in despair because of the situations surrounding him and God’s seeming silence or absence.

Have you ever felt like the Psalmist? Have you ever asked yourself why you are in despair and why is the very core of your being, being shaken at this moment in time? And God, where are You? I need you, God; where are you? Well, you are in good company because we all have.

Faith in God doesn’t come with a free ticket out of sorrow and heartache, and faith doesn’t come with a get out of jail card or a payday of ease. It does come with the promise that God will never leave us nor forsake us, but that promise doesn’t come with an eternal feeling of closeness with God. Scripture is filled with many examples of our heroes of faith asking the same questions the Psalmist asks.

What faith does come with is Hope! Hebrews 11:1 “Now faith is the certainty of things hoped for, a proof of things not seen.” The Psalmist in Psalm 42 seemed to get that, and as you read it, you’ll see him repeatedly remind himself to “Hope in God.” The example for us here is to actively remind ourselves to Hope in God!

Is your heart in despair? Hope in God! Are you frustrated with situations in life? Hope in God! Is there physical or emotional pain in your life? Hope in God! Not sure where the money will come from? Hope in God! Not sure how to handle the relational issues in your family? Hope in God! I could go on. One more… HOPE IN GOD!

Hoping in God with you,
Pastor Mike