Psalm 42:1-11
Key Verses: 42:3, 5
“Day and
night my tears are my only food, as everyone keeps asking, ‘Where is your God?’
Why am
I discouraged? Why am I restless? I trust you! And I will praise you again
because you help me, and you are my God.” CEV
“Where is your God?” When bad things
happen to undeserving people this is the question on the lips of so many? Where
is God now? Where is God in this? Where is your God when children are harmed
behind closed doors? Where is God when people are gunned down in the streets by
the very people who have sworn to protect and serve? Where is God when
thousands die in a natural disaster or in this pandemic? Where is God right
now, when I am in pain, when I am hurting? Where is God.
And even the most faithful, even those of
us who trust God easily and freely find ourselves in a place where we too begin
to wonder, “Where is God right now? “Why can I not seem to find God?” When we
find this to be the way of it in our lives, we can know we are not alone. The
Psalmist is sure, is positive that God is there. God is our strength, our shield
our protector in the midst of it all. But, even still the Psalmist is discouraged,
the Psalmist also wonders where is God in the midst of hardship and pain. The
Psalmist can’t seem to find God in the middle of it all.
As you
read through the Psalmist first tries to remember when leading other to worship
God. Going into God’s house, listening to the songs of praise, participating in
worship fully and completely. But right now discouragement surrounds and
finding God in the middle of it all is hard. The Psalmist asks, “Why am I
discouraged? Why am I restless? I trust you!” Sometime in the middle of it all
we know we trust God, we know God is good, we remember what it was like to
fully participate, with all that we are in worship, in song, in praise. But
right now, it is seems far away. Trust is just beyond our finger tips. It is
right there, we can almost touch it, we can almost grasp it, we can almost get
it back. But right now all we can do is remember, assure ourselves in that God
has always been there, and God will continue to be there. Even now, even in the
middle of whatever you are going through; even when you cannot see God, or feel
God. God is there, even when you are restless and discouraged. Even when you
find it hard to trust or have faith. God is still there in the middle of your
distrust, in the middle of your lack of faith, your discouragement, your restlessness.
God is there. Hang on. Read this Psalm over again and Hang on.
Thing to
Think on
What does it mean to you, for you to
thirst for God?
Another version says, “my whole
being craves you, God” What does it mean for your whole being to crave God?
Have you ever wanted God that much?
Have you ever felt so far from God, or felt God was so far from you that longed
for God’s presence?
Are there times when it is hard for
you to trust God?
Does it give you some comfort; peace
of mind to know that you are not alone in this? That Psalmist also felt far
from God, felt discouraged, felt that God was far away and could not be found?
A Prayer for
Today
Oh God! I
feel so far from you. I look everywhere. I read my Bible. I pray. But all I see
are words on a page. All my prayers hit the ceiling and fall down, gathering at
my feet, unheard, unanswered. I am desperate. I am alone. Where are you? How
can I find you? Do you even hear me? I know you are there. You are always
there. I am not alone. I am sure of this. Help me to find my way. Give me your strength.
Help me to see you. – Amen
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