Psalm 42

Longing for God

This psalm compares longing for God to a deer who is very thirsty and searching for a stream of water. The writer feels far from God and very sad — but keeps reminding himself to hope in God. Sometimes we feel far from God, but He is never far from us.

¹As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for You, O God.
²My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God?
³My tears have been my food day and night, while men say to me all day long, "Where is your God?"
⁴These things I remember as I pour out my soul: how I used to go with the multitude, leading the procession to the house of God, with shouts of joy and thanksgiving among the festive throng.
⁵Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise Him, my Savior and my God.
⁶My soul is downcast within me; therefore I remember You from the land of the Jordan, the heights of Hermon— from Mount Mizar.
⁷Deep calls to deep in the roar of Your waterfalls; all Your waves and breakers have swept over me.
⁸By day the LORD directs His loving devotion, and at night His song is with me— a prayer to the God of my life.
⁹I say to God my Rock, "Why have You forgotten me? Why must I go about mourning, oppressed by the enemy?"
¹⁰My bones suffer mortal agony as my foes taunt me, saying to me all day long, "Where is your God?"
¹¹Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise Him, my Savior and my God.

What it means

It is okay to feel sad and to long for God when He seems far away. The psalmist talked to his own soul and reminded himself to hope in God. Even in our lowest moments, we can choose to put our hope in Him.

A little prayer

God, sometimes my soul feels really sad and far from You. Remind me to put my hope in You even when I don't feel it. I will praise You — even now, even here. Amen.

Scripture from the Berean Standard Bible (BSB)