Longing for God And His People
For most of us, this time of self-isolation has caused us to long for a return of the corporate worship of God’s people. Just know that the psalmist in Psalm 42 feels the same way that you do. His plight is one that we all can relate to. He has been separated from the assembly of worshippers and longs for the day that he can return and sing praises with them to the Living God (42:4).
The psalmist is spiritually dry and longs for God, “as the deer pants for the water...” (42:1-2). His faith is real and he longs to worship in God’s temple with His people (42:2). While separated from the people of God, he is grieved by the taunts of the ungodly who ask in the midst of great troubles, “Where is your God”(42:3)? The ungodly find his faith in God foolish, a waste of time.
The psalmist is in despair and deeply discouraged (42:5-6). He “remembers” the past good experiences worshipping in the sanctuary, and these memories drown out the taunts of the ungodly (42:4). He exhorts himself to hope in God: to wait patiently with great anticipation of God’s future deliverance (42:5). The remembrance of God’s faithfulness and joyful corporate worship is an antidote to times of despair.
The psalmist keeps asserting his faith (42:8). God protects him and provides for him day and night (42:8). God gave him reason to sing praise in the midst of his despair (42:8-9). Devout believers persevere in their faith during tough times (42:11). Brethren, hope in God and wait for Him to deliver you from your time of trouble. Remember God’s faithfulness, your past times with the people of God, and look forward to the day when you shall see the Lord face to face (Rev 22:4).
