For those that suffer pain and depression:
Psalm 42:1–11 (NIV) — 1 As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O God. 2 My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God? 3 My tears have been my food day and night, while men say to me all day long, “Where is your God?” 4 These things I remember as I pour out my soul: how I used to go with the multitude, leading the procession to the house of God, with shouts of joy and thanksgiving among the festive throng. 5 Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and 6 my God. My soul is downcast within me; therefore I will remember you from the land of the Jordan, the heights of Hermon—from Mount Mizar. 7 Deep calls to deep in the roar of your waterfalls; all your waves and breakers have swept over me. 8 By day the Lord directs his love, at night his song is with me— a prayer to the God of my life. 9 I say to God my Rock, “Why have you forgotten me? Why must I go about mourning, oppressed by the enemy?” 10 My bones suffer mortal agony as my foes taunt me, saying to me all day long, “Where is your God?” 11 Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God.
This psalm is a maskil which means it was used for instruction. It deals with depression and how to overcome it. It’s a good psalm to refer to whenever we are in despair.
The fact that the psalmist was truly suffering from depression is apparent from his descriptions throughout the psalm — verse 3, "My tears have been my food day and night;" verse 5, "Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me?" verse 9, "I say to God... Why have you forgotten me? Why must I go about mourning?" verse 10, "My bones suffer mortal agony as my foes taunt me;" and verse 11, "Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me?"
Ker wrote about this psalm, "It has been for centuries most powerful for the heart-sick and despondent. It is the utterance of some one in deep trouble, and it tells us how he found comfort, and how we may find it under similar circumstances."
Some commentators believe David wrote this psalm. Is it possible a man of God, a believer, could experience such depression? David was the king and known as a man after God’s own heart, but sometimes even God’s chosen have to suffer through the valley of the shadow of death.
The great Nineteenth Century preacher Charles Spurgeon also suffered from times of despair. His comment on verse 7 reveals understanding of storm-tossed times which he must have experienced himself. He wrote of the psalmist, "His woes were incessant and overwhelming. Billow followed billow, one sea echoed the roaring of another, bodily pain aroused mortal fear, Satanic suggestions chimed in with mistrustful forebodings, outward tribulation thundered in awful harmony with inward anguish: his soul seemed drowned as in a universal deluge of trouble...."
Christians sometimes are depressed, but, fortunately for us, God has given us his word to stand on. Psalm 42 gives us an eight-step plan to battle through depression.
Here’s an outline of the Eight Steps to Victory.
1. (Psalm 42:1) Long after spiritual things, not material things.
2. (Psalm 42:3) Don’t listen to the lies of the enemy.
3. (Psalm 42:4) Think about good things, discipline your thoughts.
4. (Psalm 42:5) Praise and worship God.
5. (Psalm 42:6-7) As in times past, allow the Holy Spirit to minister to you.
6. (Psalm 42:8) Sing.
7. (Psalm 42:8) Pray.
8. (Psalm 42:11) Place your hope in God, not your problems.
These points will be expanded upon in the individual verses. Each verse in this psalm has something to teach us about handling depression.
Barnes comments on how appropriate this psalm is for our everyday Christian walk, "How often have the people of God occasion to use the language of this psalm! In a world of trouble and sorrow such as ours is; in a world where the friends of God have often been, and may again be, persecuted; in the anguish which is felt from the ingratitude of children, kindred, and friends; in the distress which springs up in the heart when, from sickness or from any other cause, we are long deprived of the privileges of public worship — in exile as it were from the sanctuary — how imperfect would be a book professing to be a revelation from God, if it did not contain some such psalm as this, so accurately describing the feelings of those who are in such circumstances; so adapted to their wants; so well fitted to direct to the true source of consolation! It is this adaptedness of the Bible to the actual requirements of mankind,— this accurate description of the feelings which pass through our own mind and heart,— this constant direction to God as the true source of support and consolation — which so much endears the Bible to the hearts of the people of God...."
Verse 1
As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O God.
This is Step 1 in our Eight Steps to Victory — Long after spiritual things, not material things. Many times depression occurs when we cannot attain the material possessions we long for. Our heart is chasing after the wrong things. The psalmist’s soul longed for God. What does you soul long for? A new car? New clothes? Someone to love? There’s nothing wrong with these, but as Jesus tells us in Matthew 6:21, "where your treasure is, there your heart will also be."
We sometimes need to honestly ask ourselves, "How much do we long for the things of God?" You can tell what’s important in your life by noticing how much time you reserve for your various interests. An avid sports fan somehow always finds time to attend games that the non-avid sports fan never seems to have time for. Make a chart of the time you’ve spent during the past seven days. How much time did you spend with your family, your friends? What activities did you participate in? Where did prayer, study, and seeking God fall on your list? Do you make the time for God, or do you make excuses? When we earnestly long for God, we will spend time seeking him. Nothing will deter us from this the same way the hart will not stop until he has found the water.
Verse 2
My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God?
We do not appreciate the rain until we’ve been through a drought. We don't long for the taste of water until we’ve been without it for an extended period of time. So it is with God. During the times he seems the farthest away is when we long for him more. The psalmist had apparently been prevented from worshipping at the temple — whether he was an exile in Babylon, David fleeing Absalom, or some other Hebrew who found himself in the midst of enemy territory far from home. He longed for those times when he worshipped with God’s people and felt God’s presence in a mighty way. Now he was alone and far from the sanctuary. We have all felt that way — whether sickness kept us from church, or duty called us away to another area, or our work schedule prevented us from being in the house of God. It was during one of these times of separation that the psalmist cried out, "My soul thirsts for God."
Spurgeon comments on this verse, "O to have the most intense craving.... Not merely for the temple and the ordinances, but for fellowship with God himself.... Because he lives, and gives to men the living water; therefore we, with greater eagerness, desire him. ...He who loves the Lord loves also the assemblies wherein his name is adored. Vain are all pretences to religion where the outward means of grace have no attraction. David was never so much at home as in the house of the Lord; he was not content with private worship; he did not forsake the place where saints assemble; as the manner of some is."
When we feel as the psalmist did, we can take comfort in Jesus’ words in Matthew 5:6, "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled." We will be filled with the living water as Jesus told the Samaritan woman in John 4:13, "Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life."
Verse 3
My tears have been my food day and night, while men say to me all day long, "Where is your God?"
This is Step 2 — Don’t listen to the lies of the enemy. One of the signs of depression is excessive crying. The psalmist is so distraught that he can make the statement, "My tears have been my food day and night." He has lost his appetite for food. One of the causes for all this sorrow is that people are telling him that God isn’t with him anymore. "Where is your God?" they say. This is a typical lie of Satan when we are going through difficult times. He whispers in our ear, "See, God doesn’t really love you. He’s left you. You’re not really saved." Suddenly, on top of the weight of the trial we are going through is added the feeling of abandonment. It is during these times when we ask, "Where is God?" that we need to stand firm on his word and repeat to ourselves scriptures such as 1 John 1:9, "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness," and Romans 5:1, "Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ," and John 3:15, "That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life," and Romans 10:9, "That if you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved." We must believe God’s word and not listen to Satan’s lies. This is what the psalmist does as we can see from the next verse.
Verse 4
These things I remember as I pour out my soul: how I used to go with the multitude, leading the procession to the house of God, with shouts of joy and thanksgiving among the festive throng.
This is Step 3 — Think about good things, discipline your thoughts. The psalmist forces himself to remember the times when he felt closest to the Lord. He disciplines his thoughts. Notice how he mentally enumerates all the happy events: "go with the multitude," leading the procession," "to the house of God," "shouts of joy," "shouts of thanksgiving," "among the festive throng." When battling depression, it’s important to take "happy breaks" throughout the day — a time to stop and recount to yourself five or ten things you are happy about. This is what the psalmist was doing, and we are instructed to do the same in Philippians 4:8, "Fix your thoughts on what is true and good and right. Think about things that are pure and lovely, and dwell on the fine, good things in others. Think about all you can praise God for and be glad about." As we do this, we will discover that we are changing our thought patterns — we are forcing our mind to be happy even in the midst of discouragement.
Here’s an interesting note on the Hebrew from this verse. The two words we translate "I used to go" and "leading the procession" are in the imperfect. In classical Hebrew this means that even though the psalmist was referring to events from the past, he anticipated that he would be doing them again in the future. This reveals to us his faith.
Verse 5
Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and
The psalmist finds himself arguing with his soul. He knows he feels downcast, but he begins to question why. He recognizes that this is not a condition a believer should be in, but nevertheless he finds himself disturbed. I wonder how long he spent pondering the reasons for his depression. We can continuously ask why but never seem to get an answer. Finally, he decides to stop asking why and decides to simply praise the Lord — in spite of the feelings of depression! This is Step 4 in getting the victory — we must praise and worship God.
The Bible constantly exhorts us to praise God. Psalm 150 tells us, "Praise the Lord. Praise God in his sanctuary; praise him in his mighty heavens. Praise him for his acts of power; praise him for his surpassing greatness. Praise him with the sounding of the trumpet; praise him with the harp and lyre; praise him with tambourine and dancing, praise him with the strings and flute, praise him with the clash of cymbals, praise him with resounding cymbals. Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord." Hebrews 13:15 instructs us to, "continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise." Isaiah 42:10 tells us, "Sing unto the Lord a new song, and his praise from the end of the earth." Psalm 100:1-4 commands us to, "Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth. Serve the Lord with gladness; come before him with joyful songs. Know that the Lord is God. It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name." We must learn to worship the Lord both in the good times and in the bad times. As we praise him, we are acknowledging that he is in control, and we are allowing the Holy Spirit to minister peace to our soul.
Verse 6
My God. My soul is downcast within me; therefore I will remember you from the land of the Jordan, the heights of Hermon — from Mount Mizar.
The writer has tried to discipline his thoughts and tried praising the Lord, but still finds his soul is downcast. Most of us want instant victory. We’ll try something for a few hours or maybe a few days, but if it doesn’t work, we’ll abandon it and try something else. We need to understand that when we‘re battling depression, we must make a long-term commitment to these Eight Steps to Victory. It may require months or years of never giving up and constantly training ourselves. Many times depression comes only after years of negative thought patterns, unrealistic expectations, or believing lies about ourselves. Doesn’t it make sense that it will take a long-term commitment to re-train our thinking?
Barnes writes, "This is the utterance of a soul in anguish, notwithstanding the purpose not to be cast down, and the conviction that hope ought to be cherished. The psalmist cannot but say that despite all this, he is sad. ...What sufferer has not felt this? When he really wished to trust in God; when he hoped that things would be better; when he saw that he ought to be calm and cheerful, his sorrows have returned like a flood, sweeping all these feelings away for the time, filling his soul with anguish, compelling him to form these resolutions anew, and driving him afresh to the throne of grace, to beat back the returning tide of grief, and to bring the soul to calmness and peace."
In this verse the psalmist returns to memories of Jordan, Hermon mountains, and Mount Mizar. Some commentators think he is remembering spiritual experiences he has had at these places. I believe he is calling on the Holy Spirit to minister to him once again, as before. Perhaps you can recall a Jordan experience where you were baptized into his presence, or when you felt his cleansing presence free you from long years of guilt, or when you felt his refreshing waters revive your spirit to a deeper walk with the Lord.
What kind of a Mount Hermon experience have you had — those times when you felt you reached the spiritual mountaintops, when you met God face to face, when you felt his presence sweeping over you in a mighty way. It was a time of gladness, rejoicing and exuberance.
And what about Mizar. Today, we know where Jordan is, and we can locate Mount Hermon, but the site of Mizar has been lost over the centuries. It is just an insignificant hill. I think of Mizar as our everyday walk with the Lord — the little things he does for us in our job, our family, our day-to-day living. These small miracles seem insignificant, but they are actually the things that influence us most. Jordan and Hermon experiences happen every now and then, but Mizar is with us every day as we learn to walk in the ways of the Lord and trust in him.
This verse and the next lead us to Step 5 — As in times past, allow the Holy Spirit to minister to you.
Verse 7
Deep calls to deep in the roar of your waterfalls; all your waves and breakers have swept over me.
Most commentators think this verse is referring to the wave after wave of sorrow overwhelming the writer. However, if the spiritual application I proposed in the previous verse is accepted, then it would seem reasonable that this verse is talking about the Lord’s presence sweeping over the psalmist. When we are overwhelmed with trouble, we need to surrender ourselves to the ministry of the Holy Spirit. We need to allow his presence to engulf us. Just as the rock formations on the coast can do nothing as the breakers splash over them, so we must be still and allow God’s Spirit to flood over us. We must surrender to him our feelings, our thoughts, our emotions, our fears, our doubts, our compulsions, our panic, our whole self. As we do that, God’s peace floods through us, and we become lost in him — no longer am I in control; I turn it all over to him. As Jesus said in John 14:27, "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid." This is his promise to all believers. Allow his peace to minister to you today!
Verse 8
By day the LORD directs his love, at night his song is with me-- a prayer to the God of my life.
The first part of this verse tells us that at night, God’s song is with us. This brings us to Step 6 — Sing. As we allow our voice to sing, our spirit is lifted. It is interesting that this verse emphasizes the fact that it is God who directs his love to us and places his song with us. In fact the Hebrew here for directs his love means literally, "commands his mercy." It is because of his mercy that we can sing with rejoicing. God’s mercy is extended to us "by day" and "at night." In other words, at all times. Often, those who are battling depression feel too discouraged to sing. This is a big mistake. If you feel that way, don’t give in to your emotions. Force yourself to sing. You may not feel any different — ignore your feelings! — you will be feeding your spirit and bringing yourself slowly but inexorably toward complete victory. We are commanded in Psalm 98:4, "Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all the earth; make a loud noise, and rejoice, and sing praise." As we praise God in song, we find our spirit lifted, and our troubles fade into the background. As Barnes wrote, "I will praise him even in the dark night of calamity and sorrow." May we do the same.
The last part of this verse tells us that as we sing, we burst out into "a prayer to the God of my life." This is Step 7 — Pray. As we allow our heart to pray, we are drawn closer to God. There may be times when we feel too abandoned to pray, but we need to discipline ourselves to kneel before our Savior. As we do, we will receive comfort and peace for our soul. Paul wrote in 1 Thessalonians 5:17, "Pray without ceasing." So let us join with the psalmist and pray to the Lord. In 1690 Matthew Poole commented, "My prayer shall be unto the God; and therefore I will boldly and believingly direct my prayers to him, of whose readiness to hear and help me I have had such ample experience."
Verse 9
I say to God my Rock, "Why have you forgotten me? Why must I go about mourning, oppressed by the enemy?"
Once again the psalmist decries his dark mood. He feels God has forgotten him, and asks why he must suffer. These are the lies that Satan tells us when we are going through troubles. He will whisper, "See, God has forgotten you." And we will begin to ask, "Why me, Lord; why me?" W. B. Stevens in his hymn Farther Along expressed well our frustration,
Tempted and tried we’re oft made to wonder,
Why it should be thus all the day long,
While there are others living about us
Never molested though in the wrong.
It’s at times like these we need to believe the word of God over the lies of the devil. We can quote Romans 8:28, "And we know that all things work together for good..." but do we really believe it? Can we say with Paul in 2 Corinthians 4:8, 9, and 17, "We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed; for our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory"? Can we say with Job, "Though he slay me, yet will I trust him"? We need to believe the word of God and stand firm against all the lies of the enemy.
Even in this verse, although the psalmist is dwelling on his discouragement, he still expresses hope for he refers to God as "my Rock." God is our firm foundation. Like a rock he gives us solid ground on which to stand. His promises are firm and are our spiritual undergirding. Also, like a rock he is strong. He is our strength and able to crush all our enemies. He protects us from trouble and delivers us from disaster. God is not only the rock, he is also my rock. He is with me and ever near. As he promised in Deuteronomy 31:6, "Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you."
Verse 10
My bones suffer mortal agony as my foes taunt me, saying to me all day long, "Where is your God?"
In this verse the writer returns to the taunts of verse 3 but with greater sorrow. The term "mortal agony" in the Hebrew means "murder" or "slaying." As Stedman suggests, the psalmist is saying, "As with murder in my bones." Kirkpatrick explains, "They stab him to the heart with their taunts." He is suffering from the words of his enemies. The fact that this is mentioned twice in this psalm emphasizes the mocking charge which the evil one uses against us more than any other, "Where is your God?"
If he can convince us we have been abandoned, then we lose all hope. We must stand fast on the scriptures already quoted in the comments for verse 3. We may have to do this often. The enemy of our soul does not quit easily, and this is one of his favorite lies. Don’t believe him. A variation of this lie is, "Sure, God’s word is true, but it doesn’t apply to you because you are too great a sinner," or "God’s promises are only for those who are saved, and you never really were saved. Would a true Christian have done all the bad things or thought all the evil thoughts you have?" or "God doesn’t hear you. You committed the unpardonable sin." Lies, lies, lies! These are Satan’s lies to discourage Christians and make them ineffective.
Romans 3:23 tells us, "for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God," and Romans 3:10 says, "There is no one righteous, not even one," and Isaiah 53:6 states, "We all, like sheep, have gone astray." Yes, you have done terrible things, committed awful transgressions, been a wicked sinner, as we all have. That’s why Christ had to die for us. We have the blessed promises of Psalm 34:22, "The Lord redeemeth the soul of his servants: and none of them that trust him shall be desolate," and Acts 10:43, "through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins," and John 5:24, "Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life," and Ephesians 3:8, "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God." Stop believing the lies of Satan and start believing the truth of God’s word.
Verse 11
Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God.
The writer ends this psalm still downcast and still disturbed — with good reason. Depression often lingers. We may do all the right things, we may trust the Lord, discipline our thoughts, praise, sing, and pray and still find ourselves downcast. Be patient. The Lord will deliver you. The psalmist realized this for he wrote, "Put your hope in God." This is Step 8 — Place your hope in God, not your problems. Our confidence, our trust must be in God. He is the one who will see us through. Jeremiah 17:7 says, "Blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord, and whose hope the Lord is," and Isaiah 12:2 tells us, "Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid."
When we take our eyes off of our problems and place our full confidence in the Lord, depression no longer can reign over us, Satan’s lies can no longer have any hold on us, fear can no longer have us in its grasp. We are free. Storms may still surround us, and our emotions may still be in turmoil, but our spirit is free — free to praise, to sing, to worship. And we will be surprised how our new-found freedom in the spirit will cause the storms to cease and the turmoil to be calmed.
Conclusion
If you are depressed or in despair, I pray you will put into practice the Eight Steps to Victory. I believe the Lord will deliver you and help you. Don’t give up and don’t quit. As I was writing the words contained in this commentary, I felt the Lord’s presence and guidance. I believe he was causing me to write the words which would specifically help you. I pray they have touched your heart.
Once again here are the Eight Steps:
1. (Psalm 42:1) Long after spiritual things, not material things.
2. (Psalm 42:3) Don’t listen to the lies of the enemy.
3. (Psalm 42:4) Think about good things, discipline your thoughts.
4. (Psalm 42:5) Praise and worship God.
5. (Psalm 42:6-7) As in times past, allow the Holy Spirit to minister to you.
6. (Psalm 42:8) Sing.
7. (Psalm 42:8) Pray.
8. (Psalm 42:11) Place your hope in God, not your problems.
Posted with permission:
http://www.elite.net/%7Eebedyah/PastorsSite/psalms/psalm42.htm
Psalm 42:1–11 (NIV) — 1 As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O God. 2 My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God? 3 My tears have been my food day and night, while men say to me all day long, “Where is your God?” 4 These things I remember as I pour out my soul: how I used to go with the multitude, leading the procession to the house of God, with shouts of joy and thanksgiving among the festive throng. 5 Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and 6 my God. My soul is downcast within me; therefore I will remember you from the land of the Jordan, the heights of Hermon—from Mount Mizar. 7 Deep calls to deep in the roar of your waterfalls; all your waves and breakers have swept over me. 8 By day the Lord directs his love, at night his song is with me— a prayer to the God of my life. 9 I say to God my Rock, “Why have you forgotten me? Why must I go about mourning, oppressed by the enemy?” 10 My bones suffer mortal agony as my foes taunt me, saying to me all day long, “Where is your God?” 11 Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God.
This psalm is a maskil which means it was used for instruction. It deals with depression and how to overcome it. It’s a good psalm to refer to whenever we are in despair.
The fact that the psalmist was truly suffering from depression is apparent from his descriptions throughout the psalm — verse 3, "My tears have been my food day and night;" verse 5, "Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me?" verse 9, "I say to God... Why have you forgotten me? Why must I go about mourning?" verse 10, "My bones suffer mortal agony as my foes taunt me;" and verse 11, "Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me?"
Ker wrote about this psalm, "It has been for centuries most powerful for the heart-sick and despondent. It is the utterance of some one in deep trouble, and it tells us how he found comfort, and how we may find it under similar circumstances."
Some commentators believe David wrote this psalm. Is it possible a man of God, a believer, could experience such depression? David was the king and known as a man after God’s own heart, but sometimes even God’s chosen have to suffer through the valley of the shadow of death.
The great Nineteenth Century preacher Charles Spurgeon also suffered from times of despair. His comment on verse 7 reveals understanding of storm-tossed times which he must have experienced himself. He wrote of the psalmist, "His woes were incessant and overwhelming. Billow followed billow, one sea echoed the roaring of another, bodily pain aroused mortal fear, Satanic suggestions chimed in with mistrustful forebodings, outward tribulation thundered in awful harmony with inward anguish: his soul seemed drowned as in a universal deluge of trouble...."
Christians sometimes are depressed, but, fortunately for us, God has given us his word to stand on. Psalm 42 gives us an eight-step plan to battle through depression.
Here’s an outline of the Eight Steps to Victory.
1. (Psalm 42:1) Long after spiritual things, not material things.
2. (Psalm 42:3) Don’t listen to the lies of the enemy.
3. (Psalm 42:4) Think about good things, discipline your thoughts.
4. (Psalm 42:5) Praise and worship God.
5. (Psalm 42:6-7) As in times past, allow the Holy Spirit to minister to you.
6. (Psalm 42:8) Sing.
7. (Psalm 42:8) Pray.
8. (Psalm 42:11) Place your hope in God, not your problems.
These points will be expanded upon in the individual verses. Each verse in this psalm has something to teach us about handling depression.
Barnes comments on how appropriate this psalm is for our everyday Christian walk, "How often have the people of God occasion to use the language of this psalm! In a world of trouble and sorrow such as ours is; in a world where the friends of God have often been, and may again be, persecuted; in the anguish which is felt from the ingratitude of children, kindred, and friends; in the distress which springs up in the heart when, from sickness or from any other cause, we are long deprived of the privileges of public worship — in exile as it were from the sanctuary — how imperfect would be a book professing to be a revelation from God, if it did not contain some such psalm as this, so accurately describing the feelings of those who are in such circumstances; so adapted to their wants; so well fitted to direct to the true source of consolation! It is this adaptedness of the Bible to the actual requirements of mankind,— this accurate description of the feelings which pass through our own mind and heart,— this constant direction to God as the true source of support and consolation — which so much endears the Bible to the hearts of the people of God...."
Verse 1
As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O God.
This is Step 1 in our Eight Steps to Victory — Long after spiritual things, not material things. Many times depression occurs when we cannot attain the material possessions we long for. Our heart is chasing after the wrong things. The psalmist’s soul longed for God. What does you soul long for? A new car? New clothes? Someone to love? There’s nothing wrong with these, but as Jesus tells us in Matthew 6:21, "where your treasure is, there your heart will also be."
We sometimes need to honestly ask ourselves, "How much do we long for the things of God?" You can tell what’s important in your life by noticing how much time you reserve for your various interests. An avid sports fan somehow always finds time to attend games that the non-avid sports fan never seems to have time for. Make a chart of the time you’ve spent during the past seven days. How much time did you spend with your family, your friends? What activities did you participate in? Where did prayer, study, and seeking God fall on your list? Do you make the time for God, or do you make excuses? When we earnestly long for God, we will spend time seeking him. Nothing will deter us from this the same way the hart will not stop until he has found the water.
Verse 2
My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God?
We do not appreciate the rain until we’ve been through a drought. We don't long for the taste of water until we’ve been without it for an extended period of time. So it is with God. During the times he seems the farthest away is when we long for him more. The psalmist had apparently been prevented from worshipping at the temple — whether he was an exile in Babylon, David fleeing Absalom, or some other Hebrew who found himself in the midst of enemy territory far from home. He longed for those times when he worshipped with God’s people and felt God’s presence in a mighty way. Now he was alone and far from the sanctuary. We have all felt that way — whether sickness kept us from church, or duty called us away to another area, or our work schedule prevented us from being in the house of God. It was during one of these times of separation that the psalmist cried out, "My soul thirsts for God."
Spurgeon comments on this verse, "O to have the most intense craving.... Not merely for the temple and the ordinances, but for fellowship with God himself.... Because he lives, and gives to men the living water; therefore we, with greater eagerness, desire him. ...He who loves the Lord loves also the assemblies wherein his name is adored. Vain are all pretences to religion where the outward means of grace have no attraction. David was never so much at home as in the house of the Lord; he was not content with private worship; he did not forsake the place where saints assemble; as the manner of some is."
When we feel as the psalmist did, we can take comfort in Jesus’ words in Matthew 5:6, "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled." We will be filled with the living water as Jesus told the Samaritan woman in John 4:13, "Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life."
Verse 3
My tears have been my food day and night, while men say to me all day long, "Where is your God?"
This is Step 2 — Don’t listen to the lies of the enemy. One of the signs of depression is excessive crying. The psalmist is so distraught that he can make the statement, "My tears have been my food day and night." He has lost his appetite for food. One of the causes for all this sorrow is that people are telling him that God isn’t with him anymore. "Where is your God?" they say. This is a typical lie of Satan when we are going through difficult times. He whispers in our ear, "See, God doesn’t really love you. He’s left you. You’re not really saved." Suddenly, on top of the weight of the trial we are going through is added the feeling of abandonment. It is during these times when we ask, "Where is God?" that we need to stand firm on his word and repeat to ourselves scriptures such as 1 John 1:9, "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness," and Romans 5:1, "Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ," and John 3:15, "That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life," and Romans 10:9, "That if you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved." We must believe God’s word and not listen to Satan’s lies. This is what the psalmist does as we can see from the next verse.
Verse 4
These things I remember as I pour out my soul: how I used to go with the multitude, leading the procession to the house of God, with shouts of joy and thanksgiving among the festive throng.
This is Step 3 — Think about good things, discipline your thoughts. The psalmist forces himself to remember the times when he felt closest to the Lord. He disciplines his thoughts. Notice how he mentally enumerates all the happy events: "go with the multitude," leading the procession," "to the house of God," "shouts of joy," "shouts of thanksgiving," "among the festive throng." When battling depression, it’s important to take "happy breaks" throughout the day — a time to stop and recount to yourself five or ten things you are happy about. This is what the psalmist was doing, and we are instructed to do the same in Philippians 4:8, "Fix your thoughts on what is true and good and right. Think about things that are pure and lovely, and dwell on the fine, good things in others. Think about all you can praise God for and be glad about." As we do this, we will discover that we are changing our thought patterns — we are forcing our mind to be happy even in the midst of discouragement.
Here’s an interesting note on the Hebrew from this verse. The two words we translate "I used to go" and "leading the procession" are in the imperfect. In classical Hebrew this means that even though the psalmist was referring to events from the past, he anticipated that he would be doing them again in the future. This reveals to us his faith.
Verse 5
Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and
The psalmist finds himself arguing with his soul. He knows he feels downcast, but he begins to question why. He recognizes that this is not a condition a believer should be in, but nevertheless he finds himself disturbed. I wonder how long he spent pondering the reasons for his depression. We can continuously ask why but never seem to get an answer. Finally, he decides to stop asking why and decides to simply praise the Lord — in spite of the feelings of depression! This is Step 4 in getting the victory — we must praise and worship God.
The Bible constantly exhorts us to praise God. Psalm 150 tells us, "Praise the Lord. Praise God in his sanctuary; praise him in his mighty heavens. Praise him for his acts of power; praise him for his surpassing greatness. Praise him with the sounding of the trumpet; praise him with the harp and lyre; praise him with tambourine and dancing, praise him with the strings and flute, praise him with the clash of cymbals, praise him with resounding cymbals. Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord." Hebrews 13:15 instructs us to, "continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise." Isaiah 42:10 tells us, "Sing unto the Lord a new song, and his praise from the end of the earth." Psalm 100:1-4 commands us to, "Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth. Serve the Lord with gladness; come before him with joyful songs. Know that the Lord is God. It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name." We must learn to worship the Lord both in the good times and in the bad times. As we praise him, we are acknowledging that he is in control, and we are allowing the Holy Spirit to minister peace to our soul.
Verse 6
My God. My soul is downcast within me; therefore I will remember you from the land of the Jordan, the heights of Hermon — from Mount Mizar.
The writer has tried to discipline his thoughts and tried praising the Lord, but still finds his soul is downcast. Most of us want instant victory. We’ll try something for a few hours or maybe a few days, but if it doesn’t work, we’ll abandon it and try something else. We need to understand that when we‘re battling depression, we must make a long-term commitment to these Eight Steps to Victory. It may require months or years of never giving up and constantly training ourselves. Many times depression comes only after years of negative thought patterns, unrealistic expectations, or believing lies about ourselves. Doesn’t it make sense that it will take a long-term commitment to re-train our thinking?
Barnes writes, "This is the utterance of a soul in anguish, notwithstanding the purpose not to be cast down, and the conviction that hope ought to be cherished. The psalmist cannot but say that despite all this, he is sad. ...What sufferer has not felt this? When he really wished to trust in God; when he hoped that things would be better; when he saw that he ought to be calm and cheerful, his sorrows have returned like a flood, sweeping all these feelings away for the time, filling his soul with anguish, compelling him to form these resolutions anew, and driving him afresh to the throne of grace, to beat back the returning tide of grief, and to bring the soul to calmness and peace."
In this verse the psalmist returns to memories of Jordan, Hermon mountains, and Mount Mizar. Some commentators think he is remembering spiritual experiences he has had at these places. I believe he is calling on the Holy Spirit to minister to him once again, as before. Perhaps you can recall a Jordan experience where you were baptized into his presence, or when you felt his cleansing presence free you from long years of guilt, or when you felt his refreshing waters revive your spirit to a deeper walk with the Lord.
What kind of a Mount Hermon experience have you had — those times when you felt you reached the spiritual mountaintops, when you met God face to face, when you felt his presence sweeping over you in a mighty way. It was a time of gladness, rejoicing and exuberance.
And what about Mizar. Today, we know where Jordan is, and we can locate Mount Hermon, but the site of Mizar has been lost over the centuries. It is just an insignificant hill. I think of Mizar as our everyday walk with the Lord — the little things he does for us in our job, our family, our day-to-day living. These small miracles seem insignificant, but they are actually the things that influence us most. Jordan and Hermon experiences happen every now and then, but Mizar is with us every day as we learn to walk in the ways of the Lord and trust in him.
This verse and the next lead us to Step 5 — As in times past, allow the Holy Spirit to minister to you.
Verse 7
Deep calls to deep in the roar of your waterfalls; all your waves and breakers have swept over me.
Most commentators think this verse is referring to the wave after wave of sorrow overwhelming the writer. However, if the spiritual application I proposed in the previous verse is accepted, then it would seem reasonable that this verse is talking about the Lord’s presence sweeping over the psalmist. When we are overwhelmed with trouble, we need to surrender ourselves to the ministry of the Holy Spirit. We need to allow his presence to engulf us. Just as the rock formations on the coast can do nothing as the breakers splash over them, so we must be still and allow God’s Spirit to flood over us. We must surrender to him our feelings, our thoughts, our emotions, our fears, our doubts, our compulsions, our panic, our whole self. As we do that, God’s peace floods through us, and we become lost in him — no longer am I in control; I turn it all over to him. As Jesus said in John 14:27, "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid." This is his promise to all believers. Allow his peace to minister to you today!
Verse 8
By day the LORD directs his love, at night his song is with me-- a prayer to the God of my life.
The first part of this verse tells us that at night, God’s song is with us. This brings us to Step 6 — Sing. As we allow our voice to sing, our spirit is lifted. It is interesting that this verse emphasizes the fact that it is God who directs his love to us and places his song with us. In fact the Hebrew here for directs his love means literally, "commands his mercy." It is because of his mercy that we can sing with rejoicing. God’s mercy is extended to us "by day" and "at night." In other words, at all times. Often, those who are battling depression feel too discouraged to sing. This is a big mistake. If you feel that way, don’t give in to your emotions. Force yourself to sing. You may not feel any different — ignore your feelings! — you will be feeding your spirit and bringing yourself slowly but inexorably toward complete victory. We are commanded in Psalm 98:4, "Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all the earth; make a loud noise, and rejoice, and sing praise." As we praise God in song, we find our spirit lifted, and our troubles fade into the background. As Barnes wrote, "I will praise him even in the dark night of calamity and sorrow." May we do the same.
The last part of this verse tells us that as we sing, we burst out into "a prayer to the God of my life." This is Step 7 — Pray. As we allow our heart to pray, we are drawn closer to God. There may be times when we feel too abandoned to pray, but we need to discipline ourselves to kneel before our Savior. As we do, we will receive comfort and peace for our soul. Paul wrote in 1 Thessalonians 5:17, "Pray without ceasing." So let us join with the psalmist and pray to the Lord. In 1690 Matthew Poole commented, "My prayer shall be unto the God; and therefore I will boldly and believingly direct my prayers to him, of whose readiness to hear and help me I have had such ample experience."
Verse 9
I say to God my Rock, "Why have you forgotten me? Why must I go about mourning, oppressed by the enemy?"
Once again the psalmist decries his dark mood. He feels God has forgotten him, and asks why he must suffer. These are the lies that Satan tells us when we are going through troubles. He will whisper, "See, God has forgotten you." And we will begin to ask, "Why me, Lord; why me?" W. B. Stevens in his hymn Farther Along expressed well our frustration,
Tempted and tried we’re oft made to wonder,
Why it should be thus all the day long,
While there are others living about us
Never molested though in the wrong.
It’s at times like these we need to believe the word of God over the lies of the devil. We can quote Romans 8:28, "And we know that all things work together for good..." but do we really believe it? Can we say with Paul in 2 Corinthians 4:8, 9, and 17, "We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed; for our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory"? Can we say with Job, "Though he slay me, yet will I trust him"? We need to believe the word of God and stand firm against all the lies of the enemy.
Even in this verse, although the psalmist is dwelling on his discouragement, he still expresses hope for he refers to God as "my Rock." God is our firm foundation. Like a rock he gives us solid ground on which to stand. His promises are firm and are our spiritual undergirding. Also, like a rock he is strong. He is our strength and able to crush all our enemies. He protects us from trouble and delivers us from disaster. God is not only the rock, he is also my rock. He is with me and ever near. As he promised in Deuteronomy 31:6, "Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you."
Verse 10
My bones suffer mortal agony as my foes taunt me, saying to me all day long, "Where is your God?"
In this verse the writer returns to the taunts of verse 3 but with greater sorrow. The term "mortal agony" in the Hebrew means "murder" or "slaying." As Stedman suggests, the psalmist is saying, "As with murder in my bones." Kirkpatrick explains, "They stab him to the heart with their taunts." He is suffering from the words of his enemies. The fact that this is mentioned twice in this psalm emphasizes the mocking charge which the evil one uses against us more than any other, "Where is your God?"
If he can convince us we have been abandoned, then we lose all hope. We must stand fast on the scriptures already quoted in the comments for verse 3. We may have to do this often. The enemy of our soul does not quit easily, and this is one of his favorite lies. Don’t believe him. A variation of this lie is, "Sure, God’s word is true, but it doesn’t apply to you because you are too great a sinner," or "God’s promises are only for those who are saved, and you never really were saved. Would a true Christian have done all the bad things or thought all the evil thoughts you have?" or "God doesn’t hear you. You committed the unpardonable sin." Lies, lies, lies! These are Satan’s lies to discourage Christians and make them ineffective.
Romans 3:23 tells us, "for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God," and Romans 3:10 says, "There is no one righteous, not even one," and Isaiah 53:6 states, "We all, like sheep, have gone astray." Yes, you have done terrible things, committed awful transgressions, been a wicked sinner, as we all have. That’s why Christ had to die for us. We have the blessed promises of Psalm 34:22, "The Lord redeemeth the soul of his servants: and none of them that trust him shall be desolate," and Acts 10:43, "through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins," and John 5:24, "Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life," and Ephesians 3:8, "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God." Stop believing the lies of Satan and start believing the truth of God’s word.
Verse 11
Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God.
The writer ends this psalm still downcast and still disturbed — with good reason. Depression often lingers. We may do all the right things, we may trust the Lord, discipline our thoughts, praise, sing, and pray and still find ourselves downcast. Be patient. The Lord will deliver you. The psalmist realized this for he wrote, "Put your hope in God." This is Step 8 — Place your hope in God, not your problems. Our confidence, our trust must be in God. He is the one who will see us through. Jeremiah 17:7 says, "Blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord, and whose hope the Lord is," and Isaiah 12:2 tells us, "Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid."
When we take our eyes off of our problems and place our full confidence in the Lord, depression no longer can reign over us, Satan’s lies can no longer have any hold on us, fear can no longer have us in its grasp. We are free. Storms may still surround us, and our emotions may still be in turmoil, but our spirit is free — free to praise, to sing, to worship. And we will be surprised how our new-found freedom in the spirit will cause the storms to cease and the turmoil to be calmed.
Conclusion
If you are depressed or in despair, I pray you will put into practice the Eight Steps to Victory. I believe the Lord will deliver you and help you. Don’t give up and don’t quit. As I was writing the words contained in this commentary, I felt the Lord’s presence and guidance. I believe he was causing me to write the words which would specifically help you. I pray they have touched your heart.
Once again here are the Eight Steps:
1. (Psalm 42:1) Long after spiritual things, not material things.
2. (Psalm 42:3) Don’t listen to the lies of the enemy.
3. (Psalm 42:4) Think about good things, discipline your thoughts.
4. (Psalm 42:5) Praise and worship God.
5. (Psalm 42:6-7) As in times past, allow the Holy Spirit to minister to you.
6. (Psalm 42:8) Sing.
7. (Psalm 42:8) Pray.
8. (Psalm 42:11) Place your hope in God, not your problems.
Posted with permission:
http://www.elite.net/%7Eebedyah/PastorsSite/psalms/psalm42.htm
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