My Soul is downcast #1

Psalm 42

This psalm is attributed to sons of Korah. It is nice to see what God did with this family line. In Numbers 16 we see Korah start a rebellion but God did not punish the sins of the father on the children. He actually allowed this line of Levites to be used to sing in the temple. In 2nd Chronicles 2:19 we see that they became singers for worship in the temple.

This Psalm is to be read with ch. 43 which we will look at tomorrow. This psalm shows the distress of the soul but there is hope and ch. 43 will give answers to the questions in the ch. Many commentators may think this was song about the distress of the writer being away from the temple. He may have been with David away when he fled from Absalom and it may have been Sabbath and he normally would have been at the temple but could not. Some think it might have been a physical problem that was keeping the writer away from the temple. Either way we can learn a lot from this song.

Pant after God

IN the very beginning we see the writer saying his soul pants after God like a deer after flowing streams. In vs 2 he says, “My soul thirsts for the living God.” The writer would have been normally in the temple or the presence of God and now was away from that setting. He misses it. We know today that God’s presence is with us, we do not have to go to a temple for that, but we pant, desire, or thirst after many other things. Some people desire money, power, and possessions. Some people desire the presence of a person, but what about the living God. You can never know what it is like to miss the living God unless you have followed after him. What do you thirst after? We should desire God more and more. Just like if you are thirsty and need some cold water to drink, we should desire after God more so.

The only true satisfaction for thirst is not water to drink but everlasting water which is found in Christ Jesus. John 4:13-14, Jesus asked the woman of Samaria at the well if she would like everlasting water. That is truly what our soul needs, the everlasting healing and thirst quenching of Jesus Christ. Turn to Jesus and be satisfied in Him.

My Soul is Downcast

The writer mentions his soul is downcast or in sorrow several different times in this psalm. The reason is because he is not where he can be, the temple. He wants to be close to God but he can’t. Have you ever been doing something that you know is not pleasing to God? When you get the guilt, your soul is in sorrow. You know it is against God. The psalmist was not in sin, but when we are not seeking after God, and in sin, our soul is in sorrow. When we are not where we are supposed to be, our soul can be in sorrow. The answer the writer gives is the answer we need. In verse 11 he says, “Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation and my God. The only hope that we have for the downcast, for the soul is Christ. He is the one who makes all things truly right. He is the one who makes us right before God. He is the hope that we have. In him there is no hope, there is nothing beyond that for our soul.

Many people may hope in something for the quick relief, such as the economy, other people, drugs and alcohol but that is all temporary and will leave more disappointment in the end. Christ is the answer, the only sure thing. My soul is downcast but I hope for Christ, I have faith in God’s grace which is in Christ Jesus.