Psalm 42:1-3
As a deer pants for flowing streams, so pants my soul for you, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When shall I come and appear before God? My tears have been my food day and night, while they say to me all the day long, “Where is your God?” Psalm 42:1-3 (ESV)
Why do you continue believing in, or trying to do that? Have you had friends ask why you’re attempting something that seems extremely difficult, or nearly impossible? Maybe you haven’t been successful trying out for a sports team, applying for a job, or starting a business. Yet, you’ve made the decision to continue in your efforts.
Didn’t make the basketball team, so you went to the coach to ask what you needed to improve on. Then you went home or to the gym and scheduled time to work on those skills. Weren’t selected for a job or promotion, so you determined whether additional education or training might be needed to improve your chances and enrolled in classes to improve/expand your skill set when the next opening was posted. Were denied loan approval to start up your business. You assessed your business plan and spoke with the loan officer to determine available options which would enable reconsideration of your loan application.
For the Psalmist, it sounds as though his friends are asking the question, why does your soul continue to “thirst for God, for the living God, when your tears have been your food day and night?” Apparently your God isn’t listening to you, or doesn’t care about you.
With regard to the sports team, the job application or your goal of starting a business, your belief is in yourself. With the Psalmist, his belief is in God, who he appears to constantly seek. My expectation is that the Psalmist is a good person, however, given that his tears have been his food day and night, he continues to encounter grief and despair. Have you asked yourself, why do bad things happen to good people?
That question was answered in my mind after seeing the movie The Passion of the Christ in 2004. The movie graphically portrayed the physical beatings inflicted upon Jesus following his arrest and the pain of His crucifixion. My expectation after seeing the beatings and crucifixion portrayed by the movie, was that God grieved witnessing His Son suffer. My outlook is that when God sees our suffering, He grieves, as He did when Jesus who was perfect sacrificed His life to save us.
Questions for Reflection:
- Have you been asked why you have faith in God?
- When you have faced grief, where “tears have been your food day and night,” what has helped you maintain your faith in God?
- Do you have an outlook on why bad things happen to good people?
Prayer:
Father in heaven, I pray that my soul will thirst for You each day. I pray that I will not only rejoice when You bless me, but I ask You to help me come to You in prayer to seek Your comfort when tears are my food day and night. In Jesus name I pray.
Amen.
Login To Leave Comment