We hope this week's devotional will encourage you in your spiritual walk.
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Psalm 42 (NRSV)
1 As a deer longs for flowing streams, so my soul longs for you, O God.
2 My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.
When shall I come and behold the face of God?
3 My tears have been my food day and night,
while people say to me continually, “Where is your God?”
4 These things I remember, as I pour out my soul:
how I went with the throng, and led them in procession to the house of God,
with glad shouts and songs of thanksgiving, a multitude keeping festival.
5 Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you disquieted within me?
Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my help 6 and my God.
My soul is cast down within me;
therefore I remember you from the land of Jordan and of Hermon, from Mount Mizar.
7 Deep calls to deep at the thunder of your cataracts;
all your waves and your billows have gone over me.
8 By day the Lord commands his steadfast love,
and at night his song is with me, a prayer to the God of my life.
9 I say to God, my rock, “Why have you forgotten me?
Why must I walk about mournfully because the enemy oppresses me?”
10 As with a deadly wound in my body, my adversaries taunt me,
while they say to me continually, “Where is your God?”
11 Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you disquieted within me?
Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my help and my God.
Psalm 43 (NRSV)
1 Vindicate me, O God, and defend my cause against an ungodly people;
from those who are deceitful and unjust deliver me!
2 For you are the God in whom I take refuge; why have you cast me off?
Why must I walk about mournfully because of the oppression of the enemy?
3 O send out your light and your truth; let them lead me;
let them bring me to your holy hill and to your dwelling.
4 Then I will go to the altar of God, to God my exceeding joy;
and I will praise you with the harp, O God, my God.
5 Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you disquieted within me?
Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my help and my God.
Devotional: Facing the Tough Times in Life
How do we as believers handle tough times when illnesses, accidents, natural disasters, persecutions, and crises threaten our comfortable lives? Sometimes it seems that we are expected (or expect of ourselves) to face any situation with smiles because we should be confident that we will overcome with God’s help.
Our worship services tend to focus on victory rather than defeat, overcoming rather than succumbing, rejoicing rather than lament. Yet the psalms contain many passages like Psalms 42 and 43 – where the poet is not victorious, not overcoming, not rejoicing. And real life for believers is often like this, which explains why the psalms have been a comfort to many people through the ages.
Psalms 42 and 43, although separated in our Bible, can be read as a single integrated song/poem. The themes from Psalm 42 continue seamlessly into 43, with three sections each finishing with a refrain. Here is a person cut off from God and from other believers – perhaps physically and geographically, but certainly symbolically. The psalmist vividly expresses the depth of despair felt in a situation not of his choosing. Here is someone who has been close to God, and may have been a leader of exuberant corporate worship (42:6) but who is now experiencing spiritual dryness and desolation. Those around have seen his distress and taunt him: “Where is your God?” (42:3, 10). It seems that God has deserted him and is no longer listening to his prayers (42:9; 43:2).
And yet despite the taunts, and despite the sense of desolation, instinctively the psalmist still cries out to God. Deep down is the knowledge that God is still present; and does hear prayers and does care. In the repeated refrain the psalmist reminds himself to keep trusting, to keep hoping, to keep believing in the faithful God. And that is a comfort for us too – even when life is tough, and God seems far away, our God has not forgotten us.
Prayer:
God of love, we pray for those who are facing tough times. We pray that they will have the strength to keep trusting, hoping, and believing even when all seems hopeless. Help us to not offer glib assurances of your love but rather to show your love through our acceptance and presence. And help us to not feel false guilt when we too face times of desolation and despair. Thank you that even when you seem far away, you are still with us. Amen.
Pam Reed
Registrar and Student Support Tutor