This post is Day 15 in a series of studies about “Hope”. I strongly suggest you begin with the introduction to this study, please click here to read it.

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Hope – Day 15

Feel the inner turmoil of David as he argues with himself and acknowledges the presence of the Lord. He expresses his mixed emotions, before making the final decision that all is not over, and God will come through for him. Dare to share your own emotions with your Heavenly Father.

Psalm 42:5

Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Saviour and my God.

The Thought

The festivities of Christmas and the New Year are over. For many of us life has got back into the routine which we have come to expect. For others, the year has begun with disappointments, sadness, and frustration for any number of reasons.

In the psalms of David, we read expressions of many of these emotions. David seemed to “wear his heart on his sleeve”, and was not ashamed of how he felt, whether happy, sad, angry, or at peace.

I imagine this king being frustrated with things of the court, and going back to shepherding for a while. In my mind I see him walking alone and talking to the Lord. This psalm begins with that desire to be near to The Lord and have His help in whatever David was going through. As the deer pants for streams of water, my soul pants for the living God (Psalm 42:1).

David understands that he needs help from God, and throughout this psalm he vocalises what he is feeling.

Today’s verse is repeated in v11 and again in the following psalm (Psalm 43:5).

Action

Read psalm 42 slowly today and sense all that David was feeling: his frustration (v1-3), his good memories (v4), his decision to trust God remembering His goodness (v5-6).

Feel David’s inner turmoil (v7) as he argues with himself and acknowledges the Lord’s presence (v8) and expresses his mixed emotions (v9-10), before making the final decision that all is not over, and God will come through for him (v11).

Think about your own emotions today, and dare to share them with your Heavenly Father.

Take a moment to to remember some of the things you know about king David, and praise God for all we can learn from his life.

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