Psalm 42

 “As a deer longs for streams of water, so I long for you, O God! I thirst for God, for the living God. I say, “When will I be able to go and appear in God’s presence?” I cannot eat, I weep day and night; all day long they say to me, “Where is your God?” I will remember and weep! For I was once walking along with the great throng to the temple of God, shouting and giving thanks along with the crowd as we celebrated the holy festival. Why are you depressed, O my soul? Why are you upset? Wait for God! For I will again give thanks to my God for his saving intervention. I am depressed, so I will pray to you while I am trapped here in the region of the upper Jordan, from Hermon, from Mount Mizar. One deep stream calls out to another at the sound of your waterfalls; all your billows and waves overwhelm me. By day the Lord decrees his loyal love, and by night he gives me a song, a prayer to the living God. I will pray to God, my high ridge: “Why do you ignore me? Why must I walk around mourning because my enemies oppress me?” My enemies’ taunts cut into me to the bone, as they say to me all day long, “Where is your God?” Why are you depressed, O my soul? Why are you upset? Wait for God! For I will again give thanks to my God for his saving intervention.”

— ‭‭Psalms‬ ‭42‬:‭1‬-‭11‬‬

Interesting that some medieval mss combine Pss 42 and 43. It would make sense since the same refrain about depression and waiting on God (“cast down soul”) are repeated in Ps 43, but I would suppose the MT leaves the Psalms as distinct.

Not 100% confident of the illustration of the deer, but I’ve heard it’s because they are always being hunted (would make sense since Psalmist is being surrounded by enemies). Deer’s eyes are always looking up, even when bending over for drink. Can’t rest and is always longing for rest.

Psalmist is longing for the time/space where he was able to worship His God freely. 

But he is at the same time confident in God’s vindication. He will be rescued. Both attitudes are juxtaposed here, and neither can be downplayed. He can still sing to his God, being thankful for His works, and also question his current circumstance: “Why do you ignore me?” Wow. 

I would think, if this is David, this may come some from a personal frustration. He’s human. But it’s also from wanting God to vindicate His own character. Enemies are attacking God. “Where is He?” David has multiple desires here, so we must be careful of reading our own circumstances immediately into this or using it as an easy cure.

The point is that God invades our physical and emotional crisis, allowing for human uneasiness, but also gives reason for confidence in who He is. We do not have physical enemies, per se, as David did. We don’t need rescuing as he did. But our confidence still lies in the faithfulness and goodness of God, even if questions overwhelm us.