#DailyDevotion Are You Thirsty For The LORD?
Psalm 42 As a deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for You, O God. 2I thirst for God, the living God: O when will I come and appear before God?
The Psalms are ordered into 5 parts, it is thought to resemble the first five books of the bible. If we look at Psalm one we can see that it resembles Genesis one. We have the blessed man who ponders all that God has said and the wicked to reject God. It takes us to the flood where righteous Noah and his family are saved but the wicked were no more. Psalm 42 brings us images of Exodus. The Israelites have been in Egypt four hundred years and as far as we know, they lived as we do with the preached Word of God handed down to us but with no prophet to have the LORD speak to them directly or through a mediary. So indeed, the Israelites panted for God, the Living God in the land of many idols and wicked religious worship practices. There was the promise to Abraham they would be in the land of Egypt for this period of time and then they would be brought out with God’s mighty, outstretched hand. They wanted to appear before the LORD their God. Do we look to Sunday morning like this or for the Day of the LORD?
3My tears have been my food day and night because I’m asked all day long, “Where is your God?”
The Israelites cried out to the LORD to save them and deliver them from their oppression. They were wondering, “Where is our God?” Their cries went up and the LORD heard them. He sent Moses to them to deliver them and they came to His mountain and heard His voice. He gave them the tabernacle and the ark with the Word of Testimony which had His Name on it and made His presence among them. We gather in the name of the LORD and have His presence with us when we gather in His name and also with the Supper.
4As I pour out my soul before Him, I recall how I used to go in the crowd and lead them to God’s house, with happy shouting and praise as the crowd celebrated a festival.
David now recalls how he would pour out his soul to the LORD. He recalled leading the people forth in joy to the LORD’s house during the festivals with happy shouting and praise. O that we could gather with happy shouting and praise as we gather around the Word and Sacrament, the promised presence of the LORD there with His grace and mercy.
5Why am I so discouraged, and why am I in such turmoil? 6I must look to God for help, and praise Him Who is my Savior and my God.
Why are we so discouraged and why are we in such turmoil? Have we forgotten the promise of the LORD Jesus Christ that we are worth more than many birds? Have we forgotten His promise before we even open our lips, our Father knows what we need and is providing it? If so, let us follow David’s lead and look to God for help. He is the source of every good and perfect gift. Having asked the Father for help in our time of need, let us praise Him as we believe He has heard and answered our prayers. Let us praise our LORD and Savior Jesus Christ who has opened heaven’s throne to us by the pouring out of his innocent and precious blood and who intercedes for us at the right hand of the Father for all good things.
Heavenly Father, help us by Your Holy Spirit to remember Your promises and Your good will towards us on account of Christ Jesus, Your Son our LORD, and open our mouths that we may sing Your praise. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.