Monday Devo
Scripture:
Psalm 42
For the choir director: A psalm[a] of the descendants of Korah.
1 As the deer longs for streams of water,
so I long for you, O God.
2 I thirst for God, the living God.
When can I go and stand before him?
3 Day and night I have only tears for food,
while my enemies continually taunt me, saying,
“Where is this God of yours?”
4 My heart is breaking
as I remember how it used to be:
I walked among the crowds of worshipers,
leading a great procession to the house of God,
singing for joy and giving thanks
amid the sound of a great celebration!
5 Why am I discouraged?
Why is my heart so sad?
I will put my hope in God!
I will praise him again—
my Savior and 6 my God!
Now I am deeply discouraged,
but I will remember you—
even from distant Mount Hermon, the source of the Jordan,
from the land of Mount Mizar.
7 I hear the tumult of the raging seas
as your waves and surging tides sweep over me.
8 But each day the Lord pours his unfailing love upon me,
and through each night I sing his songs,
praying to God who gives me life.
9 “O God my rock,” I cry,
“Why have you forgotten me?
Why must I wander around in grief,
oppressed by my enemies?”
10 Their taunts break my bones.
They scoff, “Where is this God of yours?”
11 Why am I discouraged?
Why is my heart so sad?
I will put my hope in God!
I will praise him again—
my Savior and my God!
For the choir director: A psalm[a] of the descendants of Korah.
1 As the deer longs for streams of water,
so I long for you, O God.
2 I thirst for God, the living God.
When can I go and stand before him?
3 Day and night I have only tears for food,
while my enemies continually taunt me, saying,
“Where is this God of yours?”
4 My heart is breaking
as I remember how it used to be:
I walked among the crowds of worshipers,
leading a great procession to the house of God,
singing for joy and giving thanks
amid the sound of a great celebration!
5 Why am I discouraged?
Why is my heart so sad?
I will put my hope in God!
I will praise him again—
my Savior and 6 my God!
Now I am deeply discouraged,
but I will remember you—
even from distant Mount Hermon, the source of the Jordan,
from the land of Mount Mizar.
7 I hear the tumult of the raging seas
as your waves and surging tides sweep over me.
8 But each day the Lord pours his unfailing love upon me,
and through each night I sing his songs,
praying to God who gives me life.
9 “O God my rock,” I cry,
“Why have you forgotten me?
Why must I wander around in grief,
oppressed by my enemies?”
10 Their taunts break my bones.
They scoff, “Where is this God of yours?”
11 Why am I discouraged?
Why is my heart so sad?
I will put my hope in God!
I will praise him again—
my Savior and my God!
Commentary:
42:1–5 My Soul Pants for God. The song begins with a poignant expression of longing for God himself, using the image of thirst: As a deer pants for flowing streams. For the pious, the answer to this longing comes in public worship; this is clear from the phrase appear before God (i.e., at the sanctuary; cf. Ex. 23:17), and from Ps. 42:4, which recollects the former participation in sanctuary worship. The singer represents himself as separated from this worship and subject to taunts from those who despise his faith. The singer closes the stanza by encouraging himself that God will return him to worship. (Observe that the first words of v. 6, “and my God,” belong with the refrain.)
Crossway Bibles, The ESV Study Bible (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2008), 989.
Crossway Bibles, The ESV Study Bible (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2008), 989.
Questions:
Psalm 42 begins with one of the most familiar images in all of Scripture: "As the deer longs for flowing streams, so I long for You, God." It's a picture of utter desperation, where a deer isn't casually looking for a drink, but actively needs it to survive the blistering heat of a drought. In the same way, the psalmist is dealing with spiritual depression; a condition marked by sadness, anxiety, and the perceived absence of God. He isn't asking for an easier life or a few superficial blessings; he is thirsting for the living God Himself.
A spiritually dead heart never experiences this kind of thirst, that deep longing for God is actually proof that your soul is alive. Yet, when days and nights are filled with tears for food, the enemy loves to exploit the silence by whispering, "Where is this God of yours?" This cruel taunt can make our faith feel like a distant memory, tempting us to believe that God has permanently abandoned us in the desert. But we must stop pretending everything is fine and instead bring our raw thirst directly to the Lord. God hasn't disappeared; He is simply inviting you to look beyond your feelings and find your ultimate satisfaction in Him alone.
A spiritually dead heart never experiences this kind of thirst, that deep longing for God is actually proof that your soul is alive. Yet, when days and nights are filled with tears for food, the enemy loves to exploit the silence by whispering, "Where is this God of yours?" This cruel taunt can make our faith feel like a distant memory, tempting us to believe that God has permanently abandoned us in the desert. But we must stop pretending everything is fine and instead bring our raw thirst directly to the Lord. God hasn't disappeared; He is simply inviting you to look beyond your feelings and find your ultimate satisfaction in Him alone.
- When you look at your current season, what specific signs of a spiritual desert or drought do you recognize in your daily life? When God feels distant to you, do you tend to isolate yourself from others, or do you bring it to community?
- How does Psalm 42 challenge the idea that a strong Christian should always feel close to God? What does this passage teach us about genuine faith?
- The psalmist thirsted for God the way a deer thirsts for water. Does your pursuit of God reflect that kind of longing? If not, what has been competing for your heart?
Prayer Topics:
- Thank God for giving you a heart that still longs for Him. Praise Him that even your spiritual thirst is evidence of His work in your life.
- Confess the ways you've looked to other people, possessions, entertainment, or achievements to satisfy your soul instead of seeking God. Ask Him to forgive you for trying to fill your heart with things that can never truly satisfy.
- Ask God to draw you close during seasons when He feels distant. Pray for the faith to keep seeking Him, the courage to be honest with Him about your struggles, and the hope to trust that He has not abandoned you.
This Week's City 7:
Try to commit to memory!
7. How can I trust that the Bible is still God’s Word today? I trust the Bible is still God’s Word today because Jesus rose from the dead, proving He was God and said His words would never pass away. Through the Holy Spirit, God inspired the writing of the Scripture, determined the canon of Scripture and protected the copying of Scripture so that we might know Him and worship Him to this day.
(Matthew 24:35; 2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 1:16-21; Revelation 22:18-19)
(Matthew 24:35; 2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 1:16-21; Revelation 22:18-19)
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