Deeper Roots – Psalm 42

A humbled and open heart is fertile soil for God’s seeds of wisdom to be planted. Deeper Roots is focused on analyzing God’s word to discover truths, values, and lessons for application to our lives. Periodically, a scripture or passage calls for further exploration, like Psalm 42.

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As a deer pants for flowing streams,
    so pants my soul for you, O God.
² My soul thirsts for God,
    for the living God.
When shall I come and appear before God?
³ My tears have been my food
    day and night,
while they say to me all the day long,
    “Where is your God?”
⁴ These things I remember,
    as I pour out my soul:
how I would go with the throng
    and lead them in procession to the house of God
with glad shouts and songs of praise,
    a multitude keeping festival.
⁵ Why are you cast down, O my soul,
    and why are you in turmoil within me?
Hope in God; for I shall again praise him,
    my salvation 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 roar of your waterfalls;
all your breakers and your waves
    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 do I go mourning
    because of the oppression of the enemy?”
¹⁰ As with a deadly wound in my bones,
    my adversaries taunt me,
while they say to me all the day long,
    “Where is your God?”
¹¹ Why are you cast down, O my soul,
    and why are you in turmoil within me?
Hope in God; for I shall again praise him,
    my salvation and my God.

Psalm 42:1-11 ESV

Our Deeper Roots passage in Psalms shows that our human nature inclines us to doubt, but God is faithful. Our scripture selection begins with the psalmist expressing his soul’s thirst for God. He goes on to describe his lack of appetite and the taunts of other people, but then he remembers previous times in the temple worshipping. And this sparks questions about why he’s focusing on despair instead of God. Then the psalmist cycles back to despair again, before encouraging himself to hope in God.

Psalm 42 shows us the battle that we have with our souls. We know the truth about God. We know that He is holy, righteous, and faithful, yet there are times when we doubt. Seasons when we wonder if God is present and listening to our cries. It’s in those moments when we are tossed around in the storms of life that we have to remind ourselves to trust in the Lord. We have to remind ourselves of God’s character and good plans for us. We have to continue to praise the Lord of our salvation. We have to encourage ourselves to trust in Him.

Let this psalm remind you to remember. Remember how God brought you through previous storms and has the power to do even more than that in your current situation. Remember the truth about God. He is working even when we don’t visibly see Him working. And finally, remember to replace doubt and despair with hope. God will do what He promised.

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