Psalm 42 is a song penned during a time when the psalmist was not able to publicly worship God because he had been driven out of the sanctuary.
Although the author of this Psalm is not provided, many believe it was written by David during Absalom’s rebellion.
Throughout the Psalm, you can hear the author’s struggle between the taunts of his enemies and the strength of his own faith.
Charles Spurgeon describes Psalm 42 in the way…
“the voice of a spiritual believer, under depressions, longing for the renewal of the divine presence, struggling with doubts and fears, but yet holding his ground by faith in the living God.”
I think we can all relate to the feelings that inspired this song. When there is another mass shooting, someone beloved dies, or we continuously suffer, we’re asked, “If God is so good why would he let this happen” or “Where was God in that?”
It can be hard to answer those questions, and we may even ask them ourselves. That’s okay. We’re allowed to struggle. We all go through seasons of doubt, and it is often through those seasons that our faith is made stronger.
I want to encourage you to not be ashamed if you can’t always answer the hard questions or if you find yourself doubting. When those moments come, read Psalm 42 and remember that David, the great king of Israel, also struggled.
You are not alone. Seek out a friend you feel comfortable with, talk it out, and pray together. I promise it will help you feel better and may even answer some of your questions.
Bonus – Psalm 42 is what inspired the famous worship song “As the Deer”!
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Thank you for this encouragement. We do all struggle. It is good to know others struggle with us.
I see why the deer and water is a good comparison.