Psalm 42

We all have a passion for certain things in our lives.  We all have priority list for what we feel is most important in this life. We all have certain goals for which we strive and which consume our energies. The psalmist in Psalm 42 had a deep longing and passion for God.  His very heart was longing and crying out for the Lord.  What is most important to us in our lives?  Like the psalmist in Psalm 42 our consuming passion should be for the Lord God.  Our consuming passion should be for developing our love relationship with the Lord.  Our consuming passion should be to live for the Lord.

The psalmist said in Psalm 42:1-2, "As the deep pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for You, O God.  My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.  When can I go and meet with God?"  A deer pants and longs for water, because its life is dependent on water.  This is especially true when the deer is being chased by hunters.  So also the psalmist longed to be with God. Apparently circumstances prevented the psalmist from temporarily going to the temple and communing with the Lord on the level that he would have liked to commune with God.  Hence, the psalmist's heart was aching and longing for God.  His heart was crying out for God.  The psalmist was not running after and longing for pleasure, position, or the material things of this world; but he was overwhelmed with a longing for God Himself.

You and I need that kind of passion in our love relationship with the Lord.  The things of this world will pass away.  Only our love for the Lord and our relationship with the Lord will last throughout eternity.  Also our hearts will be restless and will not find true peace and joy until they are resting in the Lord.  The Lord alone is the answer to our soul's thirst.  Joy, peace, and the longing of our souls can not even be found in what the Lord gives us or does for us.  It is found in the Lord Himself! Jesus said in John 7:37b. "If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink,"  The Lord alone is the answer to our soul's longing.

The psalmist apparently was going through a difficult time in his life when he wrote this Psalm. He said in Psalm 42:3, "My tears have been my food day and night, while men say to me all day long. 'Where is your God?'"  Sometimes during times of trial and difficulty in our lives, we may be tempted to think that the Lord has forgotten us,  Just the opposite is true, however, The Lord is always with us. This is especially true during the difficult times in our lives.  Also the Lord uses times of trial and difficulty in our lives to draw us closer to Him. Difficult times in our lives help us to grow in our love relationship with the Lord.  Hence, trials in our lives help to satisfy our passion and longing for the Lord.

When the psalmist was feeling overwhelmed with the problems in his life, he remembered the Lord's past blessings in his life.  He also remembered the past joys of worshiping with God's people in the temple.  The psalmists went on to say in verses five and eleven of Psalm 42, "Why are you downcast, O my soul?  Why so disturbed with me?  Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise Him, my Savior and my God."

God will fulfill our every need during both times of trial and during times of relative ease in our lives. The Lord will do this for us, if we put our trust and hope in Him.  The Lord will do this for us, if our consuming passion and longing is for Him.  Even when we feel overwhelmed with a difficulty in our lives, the Lord is always with us.  In Psalm 42:8 the psalmist said, "By day the Lord directs His love, at night His song is with me-a prayer to the God of my life."  No matter what the circumstances in our lives the Lord is our source of joy and peace.  May the Lord be our consuming passion in our lives!