Today is Thursday, January 15th, 2009; Karen's Korner #1489

Today's Karen's Korner is Psalm 42 (11 verses) from The Message translation, as we face many potential changes in our individual and/or collective lives.
 
Several sentences in my Bible Commentary about this chapter: "As the deer depends on water, our lives depend on God. Those who seek Him and long to understand Him find never-ending life. Feeling separated from God, this writer wouldn't rest until his relationship with God had been restored because he knew that his life depended on it.
 
"Depression is one of the most common emotional ailments. One antidote for depression is to meditate on the record of God's goodness to His people. This will take your mind off the present situation and give hope that it will improve. It focuses your thoughts on God's ability to help you rather than your inability to help yourself. When you feel depressed, take advantage of this this psalm's anti-depressant."
 

Psalm 42

  A white-tailed deer drinks from the creek;
   I want to drink God,
      deep draughts of God.
   I'm thirsty for God-alive.
   I wonder, "Will I ever make it—
      arrive and drink in God's presence?"
   I'm on a diet of tears—
      tears for breakfast, tears for supper.
   All day long
      people knock at my door,
   Pestering,
      "Where is this God of yours?" 

 These are the things I go over and over,
      emptying out the pockets of my life.
   I was always at the head of the worshiping crowd,
      right out in front,
   Leading them all,
      eager to arrive and worship,
   Shouting praises, singing thanksgiving—
      celebrating, all of us, God's feast! 
 Why are you down in the dumps, dear soul?
      Why are you crying the blues?
   Fix my eyes on God—
      soon I'll be praising again.
   He puts a smile on my face.
      He's my God. 

When my soul is in the dumps, I rehearse
      everything I know of you,
   From Jordan depths to Hermon heights,
      including Mount Mizar.
   Chaos calls to chaos,
      to the tune of whitewater rapids.
   Your breaking surf, your thundering breakers
      crash and crush me.
   Then God promises to love me all day,
      sing songs all through the night!
      My life is God's prayer. 

Sometimes I ask God, my rock-solid God,
      "Why did you let me down?
   Why am I walking around in tears,
      harassed by enemies?"
   They're out for the kill, these
      tormentors with their obscenities,
   Taunting day after day,
      "Where is this God of yours?" 

Why are you down in the dumps, dear soul?
      Why are you crying the blues?
   Fix my eyes on God—
      soon I'll be praising again.
   He puts a smile on my face.
      He's my God.
**

Back