A Fear Response

The psalmist was most likely a priest. As a man of letters, he would have known the history of Israel better than most. And their path had not been a smooth one. They continually faced dangers from foreign armies as well as dangers within. Consequently, the psalmist looked for help from his almighty God.

Human Failure

We deny it. We fake it. We mask it. We try to ignore it. But the truth stubbornly persists: we are weak and inadequate creatures! Being sinful, we fail. Being prone to illness, we get sick. Being feeble, we get hurt. Being mortal, we ultimately die. Pressure grinds the churning place. Anxiety gives us ulcers. People intimidate us. Criticism undermines us.

Seek God’s Truth

Psalms 42 and 43 capture for us David’s situation of inner despair and disturbance. The source of his turmoil didn’t go away after his visit to the headwaters of the Jordan River (42:6). When he returned to Jerusalem, he found his troubles waiting for him. According to Psalm 43:1–2, David suffered another personal attack. People problems were upon him, and we all know how devastating they can be!

Find Solace in Nature

David’s songs of inner turmoil don’t offer easy answers; he’s too realistic for that. David had seen the lowest of lows several times in his life, so he knew that counting your blessings won’t work every time. Sometimes, we get so low that no memory will jar us loose from our turmoil. In Psalm 42:6–8, David offers another technique.

Remember God’s Faithfulness

David’s battle with turmoil, recounted in Psalms 42 and 43, results in longing for God’s presence. My tears have been my food day and night, While they say to me all day long, “Where is your God?” (42:3) God certainly has not forsaken His child, but at low moments all of us could testify that there are times when it feels like He has! What do we do to become reassured?

Longing for God

The composition of David—preserved for us as Psalms 42 and 43—sings the following lines three times, strongly suggesting the issue at hand is inner turmoil. Why are you in despair, O my soul? And why have you become disturbed within me? Hope in God, for I shall again praise Him. (Psalm 42:5, 11; 43:5) The term “despair” comes from the Hebrew word shakhakh, which in the literal sense means “to crouch, bow down.”

A “Churning Place”

I have a “churning place.” It’s in my stomach. On the upper, left side, just below the rib cage. When disturbing things happen, when troubling words are said, when certain letters that contain ugly words are written or extremely critical comments are read, my inner churning starts. Do you have something similar? One friend of mine says his spot is in his head, specifically his forehead.

Confess and Be Cleansed

No one can tell me that Scripture, though written more than two thousand years ago, is not relevant today. David’s poem is both beautiful and practical. Having celebrated the faithfulness of God and acknowledged the difficulty of confession, he scolds the reader for his or her stubborn pride.

Sin Distorts the Truth

As David’s celebration song about God’s forgiveness continues, he recognizes that confession is costly. He also acknowledges the fact that we have a window of opportunity that may, one day, close. Consequently, he prays for God’s future provision. Provision for Future Needs: Therefore, let everyone who is godly pray to You in a time when You may be found; Surely in a flood of great waters they will not reach him.

The Bitter Price of Secret Sin

David’s celebration of God’s forgiveness takes a dark turn as he recalls his anguished past. He remembers—perhaps accompanied by a gloomy minor key—the days of misery he spent in the isolation of secret sin. Reflection on Past Sins: When I kept silent about my sin, my body wasted away. Through my groaning all day long. For day and night Your hand was heavy upon me;

Tag Archives: Psalms