“Where is your God?” (v. 3, 10). This is a haunting question for those whose prayers seem to go unanswered, who find themselves crying all day and all night (v. 3), who long for God but feel distant from his presence and joy (v. 1-2). Psalm 42 is a song expressing great sorrow, on the verge of hopelessness. Yet on that brink of despair, hope in the Lord begins to well up in the psalmist’s soul. Truly the Lord has been his source of joy (v. 4, 8). Truly the Lord will be his salvation and joy once more (v. 5-6, 11).
O Lord, we sometimes feel like you’ve forgotten us, because it seems like it has been so long since we’ve enjoyed fellowship with you, and have sensed your pleasure, and have been conscience of your presence with us. And we feel this all the more tangibly when things in our lives aren’t going well, and when others taunt us because of our faith in you. “Where is your God?” they say. “If your God was real, and if he really loves you, then why is allowing this in your life? Why isn’t he helping resolve this issue or that?”
Of course, Lord, we must admit: sometimes it isn’t our enemies whispering these things into our ears, but it is our own hearts that are guilty of raising these doubts. Forgive us of our doubts, and comfort us in our sorrows, O Lord. Draw near to us. You, O Lord, are what we long for. You, O Lord, are our love, our life, our joy, our everything. You are the stream of water that sustains and refreshes my thirsty soul. We have known the joy of worshipping you, and we pray: even now, return to us the joy of our salvation. Let us rejoice afresh in your amazing love for us. Let us hope in you, now and forever. In Jesus’ name, amen.
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