Daily Devotions

Ps 42:1-5 As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God.
2 My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God: when shall I come and appear before God?
3 My tears have been my meat day and night, while they continually say unto me, Where is thy God?
4 When I remember these things, I pour out my soul in me: for I had gone with the multitude, I went with them to the house of God, with the voice of joy and praise, with a multitude that kept holyday.
5 Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted in me? hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him for the help of his countenance.
KJV
The psalmist finds himself in deep despair, his tears flow day and night. At this time he looks for the Lord, as the deer in a desert place seeks after the Lord so he does also. He takes time them to remember the times of joy and praise he had going into the house of God. That leads him to a question, “Why art thou cast down, O my soul?” He knows that his God has never left him down and will never forsake him, so why be cast down? The word cast there is a word familiar to a shepherd for when one of the flock is cast they have fallen, rolled over and cannot get up. If no help from the shepherd they will die. But the watchful shepherd is there to help, to pick up and restore the sheep. So the psalmist knows his good shepherd is there to help him in that hour of need. Hope in God is the answer and praise for He is there to help. Remembering the good things of God, the times of joy in the Lord, the times of rejoicing is the first step to being picked up again. Has God been good to you? Then remember His goodness and faithfulness and allow Him to pick up your cast soul. (More tomorrow from this Psalm.)

This entry was posted on Tuesday, August 22nd, 2023 at 4:24 am and is filed under Daily Devotions. You can skip to the end and leave a response.