Psalm 42 - In Times of Discouragement

God uses people in our lives to encourage us. It's those people who are being obedient to God and listening carefully to His voice to encourage His people. A dear friend sent me this Psalm this morning to encourage me. A solid reminder of God's provision, and a confirmation of His Word working in my life as I pondered this Psalm just a few day ago on my own.

Psalm 42 (NLT)
1 As the deer longs for streams of water,

so I long for you, O God.

2 I thirst for God, the living God.

When can I go and stand before him?

3 Day and night I have only tears for food,

while my enemies continually taunt me, saying, “Where is this God of yours?”

4 My heart is breaking as I remember how it used to be:

I walked among the crowds of worshipers,

leading a great procession to the house of God,

singing for joy and giving thanks amid the sound of a great celebration!

5 Why am I discouraged? Why is my heart so sad?

I will put my hope in God!

I will praise him again—my Savior and my God!

Now I am deeply discouraged, but I will remember you—

even from distant Mount Hermon, the source of the Jordan,

from the land of Mount Mizar.

7 I hear the tumult of the raging seas

as your waves and surging tides sweep over me.

8 But each day the Lord pours his unfailing love upon me,

and through each night I sing his songs,

praying to God who gives me life.
9 “O God my rock,” I cry, “Why have you forgotten me?

Why must I wander around in grief, oppressed by my enemies?”

10 Their taunts break my bones. They scoff, “Where is this God of yours?”
11 Why am I discouraged?

Why is my heart so sad?

I will put my hope in God!

I will praise him again—

my Savior and my God!

God uses hardships to teach me to lean on Him and trust Him for everything. This life is so short, its troubles so insignificant when compared to His glory and our future spent in eternity with Him. Even though His promises are true and wonderful and faithful, this process of learning to trust in Him through discouraging times never seems to be a learned thing. It's on-going, a lesson I'll still be learning when I'm 80, I'm sure.