Thirsting for the Lord: Psalm 42-Supplication through the Scriptures

Thirsting for the Lord

Psalm 42

Hope says, “You are my God,” in anticipation of the fulfillment of the promises, even when help is far off.
VanGemeren 

Charles Spurgeon famously said, “I have learned to kiss the wave that throws me against the Rock of Ages.” In Psalm 42, the psalmist is struggling with despair. He has been separated from participating in temple worship perhaps because he is in exile in a foreign land. He is longing for the presence of the Lord. His tears are his food day and night. He is being taunted by his enemies. Indeed, he feels the heavy weight of God’s judgment on him as “all your breakers and your waves have gone over me” (42:7). These troubles have caused him to pant and thirst for his living God.

However heavy his troubles, he does not wallow in self pity or give in to despair. He pours out his soul to the Lord, his rock. He remembers the joy of the songs of praise and the glad shouts. He knows the Lord’s character and faithfulness and that He commands His steadfast love to him in the day, and at night the Lord’s song is with him. He actively and repeatedly tells himself, “Hope in God; for I shall again praise Him.” 

When we are in times of turmoil and despair, we must do as the psalmist does. We must look to our Rock, pour out our hearts to Him, hope in Him alone, and then perhaps we, too, will be able to kiss those waves of trouble which throw us against the Rock of Ages, satisfying our thirsting souls with His presence.

Panting and Thirsting 

42:1-4 As a deer pants for flowing streams, so pants my soul for you, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When shall I come and appear before God? My tears have been my food day and night, while they say to me all the day long, “Where is your God?” These things I remember, as I pour out my soul: how I would go with the throng and lead them in procession to the house of God with glad shouts and songs of praise, a multitude keeping festival. 
Let’s pray:
▫️Our souls would pant and thirst for our living God and His presence and not settle for any substitute.
▫️We would seek Him earnestly; our souls would thirst for Him, our flesh would yearn for Him, in this dry and weary land where there is no water (Psalm 63:1).
▫️We would not forsake the Lord, the fountain of living waters (Jeremiah 2:13).
▫️When tears have been our food day and night, we would not despair, but we would pour out our souls to God, not hesitating, but coming quickly and confidently to His throne of grace.
▫️We would trust in Him at all times, pouring out our hearts before Him knowing that God is a refuge for us (Psalm 62:8).
▫️We would stand firm and not doubt that God is with us.
▫️We would recall to our minds the times of joy, gladness, and rejoicing we have had in the presence of God and pray for renewal.


Hope in God

42:5-8 Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation and my God. My soul is cast down within me; therefore I remember you from the land of Jordan and of Hermon, from Mount Mizar. Deep calls to deep at the roar of your waterfalls; all your breakers and your waves have gone over me. By day the Lord commands his steadfast love, and at night his song is with me, a prayer to the God of my life. 
Let’s pray:
▫️We would speak truth to ourselves when we are downcast and feeling despair. We would cling to the promises of God’s Word, even when the trial and darkness seem overwhelming.
▫️We would recall to our minds that the Lord’s lovingkindnesses indeed never cease, His compassions never fail, His faithfulness is great, He is our portion, and therefore we have hope (Lamentations 3:20-24).
▫️We would not despair at the seeming waves of the Lord’s discipline, but we would see it as weaning our affections from this world and replacing it with true eternal affections for the Lord alone. 
▫️By day He would command His steadfast love, and at night His song would be with us, reviving us in the midst of trouble (Psalm 138:7).
▫️Our lips would be filled with His songs of praise no matter what today holds.

The Help of My Countenance

42:9-11 I say to God, my rock: “Why have you forgotten me? Why do I go mourning because of the oppression of the enemy?” As with a deadly wound in my bones, my adversaries taunt me, while they say to me all the day long, “Where is your God?” Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation and my God.
Let’s pray:
▫️We would bring our cares, concerns, questions, longings, struggles, and despair directly to God, our rock.
▫️We would be thankful for anything in our lives that has caused us to long more for the Lord and thirst more for His presence.
▫️Any who may be taunting us, suggesting that God has not dealt rightly with us or that He has abandoned us, would be silenced. We would not entertain any thought that our God would ever deal with us unjustly or out of step with His covenant love.
▫️The turmoil of our hearts would be quieted as we trust in Him and hope in Him.

‭‭May the Lord do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask our think, for His glory and our good. In Jesus’ name. Amen. 

Psalm 42 quoted from the ESV.
Photo credit to nathananderson

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