Psalm 42
Psalm 42
As a deer longs for flowing streams,
So my soul longs for you, O God.
My soul thirsts for God,
For the living God.
When shall I come and behold the face of God?
My tears have been my food day and night,
While people say to me continually,
“Where is your God?”
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.
Why are you cast down, O my soul,
And why are you so disquieted within me?
Hope in God; for I shall again praise him,
My help 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.
Deep calls to deep
At the thunder of your cataracts;
All your waves and your billows
have gone over me.
By day the Lord commands his steadfast love,
And at night his song is with me,
A prayer to the God of my life.
I say to God, my rock,
“Why have you forgotten me?
Why must I walk about mournfully
Because the enemy oppresses me?”
As with a deadly wound in my body,
My adversaries taunt me,
While they say to me continually,
“Where is your God?”
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.
Some days are tougher than others. Some days are full of joy while others may be filled with sadness. I had a dream last night about my students and it hit me all over again that we will not be finishing out the school year. I miss my kids. I miss serving them and loving them. I miss showing them kindness and listening to them. I miss my mission: to show children how loved they are in Christ. I long for the tiring days of hustle and bustle. I long to reach a student and celebrate with them. I long to feel useful again, to put it bluntly. I long to feel needed while also admitting that I greatly need them too.
The rain poured today, casting a bit of gloom. I tried to buy a new car today and the process overwhelmed me. There are dishes in the sink and laundry to be folded to all I can think of is how much I miss my students and miss being a teacher.
It’s moments like this when all of this feels so unfair. When grief and loss and anger creep in. When I lose hope that things will change. Sadness pours out too and it leaves me so lonely and burdened.
Why are you cast down, o my soul?
Surely I have my days where my soul feels truly cast down. Where I feel the pain of this world and it’s hardships threaten to overwhelm me. But why am I cast down? Why am I focusing on this world and its pains rather than His goodness and faithfulness?
He is my hope. Therefore even in days when my soul is heavy and my heart is anxious - I will hope in Him. I trust Him and I know He is faithful, even if I don’t always *feel* it. Hours of reflection and time in His word grants me all the proof I need: He is my Lord and Savior. He is my redeemer. He lives. And because He lives I can face tomorrow.
Some days my soul may be cast down, but He shall continue to be victorious every day that I choose Him and His hope; every time that I fight to believe and I choose to hope in God instead of forsaking myself to the woes of this world.
I may not always be happy. Life does not guarantee my happiness, but His hope guarantees my peace and salvation. Let me not forget that.
Let me not forget that there is pain in this world and some days will be rain soaked and sorrow filled, but my soul need not be cast down for long. After all, He is my hope. He is my Helper. He is my God.
As a deer longs for flowing streams,
So my soul longs for you, O God.
My soul thirsts for God,
For the living God.
When shall I come and behold the face of God?
My tears have been my food day and night,
While people say to me continually,
“Where is your God?”
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.
Why are you cast down, O my soul,
And why are you so disquieted within me?
Hope in God; for I shall again praise him,
My help 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.
Deep calls to deep
At the thunder of your cataracts;
All your waves and your billows
have gone over me.
By day the Lord commands his steadfast love,
And at night his song is with me,
A prayer to the God of my life.
I say to God, my rock,
“Why have you forgotten me?
Why must I walk about mournfully
Because the enemy oppresses me?”
As with a deadly wound in my body,
My adversaries taunt me,
While they say to me continually,
“Where is your God?”
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.
Some days are tougher than others. Some days are full of joy while others may be filled with sadness. I had a dream last night about my students and it hit me all over again that we will not be finishing out the school year. I miss my kids. I miss serving them and loving them. I miss showing them kindness and listening to them. I miss my mission: to show children how loved they are in Christ. I long for the tiring days of hustle and bustle. I long to reach a student and celebrate with them. I long to feel useful again, to put it bluntly. I long to feel needed while also admitting that I greatly need them too.
The rain poured today, casting a bit of gloom. I tried to buy a new car today and the process overwhelmed me. There are dishes in the sink and laundry to be folded to all I can think of is how much I miss my students and miss being a teacher.
It’s moments like this when all of this feels so unfair. When grief and loss and anger creep in. When I lose hope that things will change. Sadness pours out too and it leaves me so lonely and burdened.
Why are you cast down, o my soul?
Surely I have my days where my soul feels truly cast down. Where I feel the pain of this world and it’s hardships threaten to overwhelm me. But why am I cast down? Why am I focusing on this world and its pains rather than His goodness and faithfulness?
He is my hope. Therefore even in days when my soul is heavy and my heart is anxious - I will hope in Him. I trust Him and I know He is faithful, even if I don’t always *feel* it. Hours of reflection and time in His word grants me all the proof I need: He is my Lord and Savior. He is my redeemer. He lives. And because He lives I can face tomorrow.
Some days my soul may be cast down, but He shall continue to be victorious every day that I choose Him and His hope; every time that I fight to believe and I choose to hope in God instead of forsaking myself to the woes of this world.
I may not always be happy. Life does not guarantee my happiness, but His hope guarantees my peace and salvation. Let me not forget that.
Let me not forget that there is pain in this world and some days will be rain soaked and sorrow filled, but my soul need not be cast down for long. After all, He is my hope. He is my Helper. He is my God.
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