Read Psalm 42
Guided question at the bottom.
For the director of music. A maskil
of the Sons of Korah.
As the deer pants for streams of water,
so my soul pants for you, my God.
2My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.
When can I go and meet with God?
3My tears have been my food
day and night,
while people say to me all day long,
“Where is your God?”
4These things I remember
as I pour out my soul:
how I used to go to the house of God
under the protection of the Mighty One
with shouts of joy and praise
among the festive throng.
5Why, my soul, are you downcast?
Why so disturbed within me?
Put your hope in God,
for I will yet praise him,
my Savior and my God.
6My soul is downcast within me;
therefore I will remember you
from the land of the Jordan,
the heights of Hermon—from Mount Mizar.
7Deep calls to deep
in the roar of your waterfalls;
all your waves and breakers
have swept over me.
8By day the Lord directs his love,
at night his song is with me—
a prayer to the God of my life.
9I say to God my Rock,
“Why have you forgotten me?
Why must I go about mourning,
oppressed by the enemy?”
10My bones suffer mortal agony
as my foes taunt me,
saying to me all day long,
“Where is your God?”
11Why, my soul, are you downcast?
Why so disturbed within me?
Put your hope in God,
for I will yet praise him,
my Savior and my God.
Questions
Want to experience this Psalm differently? Listen to The Sing Team’s song “Satisfied in You”. Satisfied in You
What metaphor does the psalmist use to describe his longing for God in verses 1-2? How can we cultivate this kind of desire for God?
How does the psalmist deal with his feelings of despair in verses 5 and 11? What can we learn from this?
What memories in verses 4 & 6 bring the psalmist comfort in his distress? How can remembering past experiences with God help us in difficult times?
List a couple of experiences with God you could remember.
How does this psalm teach us to be honest with God about our emotions while still affirming our trust in Him?