I think I used to take the Psalms for granted. I don’t know how to describe it really. Of course, I knew the Psalms were outpourings, mostly of King David, but since they were not “Bible Stories,” I don’t know that I took them as seriously or regarded them as having as much substance as the rest of the Word. I’m pretty sure that it was simply that the Psalms are more thoughtful, more spirit-filled, more emotional, and frankly just deeper than my shallow mind wants to go. Of course, they are beautifully written but I viewed them as I would a beautiful work of art, more of a decoration.
Following many rabbit holes lately, I find myself more often than not landing squarely in the Psalms. Many times that’s where my rabbit hole ends. After landing there so many times, I’ve been convicted of my superficial readings of the Psalms as just pretty poems. I’ve been convicted too that I don’t get to pick and choose what is it important in the Word of God – who do I think I am? By viewing the Psalms in that way, I applied my own weight to the Word of God. Again, regret and humiliation.
I pour my thoughts about the Psalms out to you just in case there’s someone else out there who’s been thinking like me. If so, we’re completely wrong and need to seek God’s forgiveness for being such Bible blowhards!
The Psalms require me to think, something I’d rather not spend my time doing. They require introspection, something I’d rather not do. They require humility, something I’d rather not do. They require us to think about our sins, our regrets, our fears, our temptations, just like King David did, and they require our repentance, just like King David did.
But, in addition to the solemnness of the Psalms there is so much delightful praise! There is comfort! There is reassurance! There is prophecy! There is forgiveness! There is provision! There is promise! I believe there is a Psalm for every situation in our life.
Now, that long stream of consciousness leads me to where I wanted to start today…
On a Bible trail of God’s nightly and daily direction, I came across Psalm 42:8:
By day the Lord directs his love, at night his song is with me – a prayer to the God of my life – Psalm 42:8
Then, like every good rabbit trail, I read all of Psalm 42:
As the deer longs for streams of water,
so I long for you, O God.
I thirst for God, the living God.
When can I go and stand before him?
Day and night I have only tears for food,
while my enemies continually taunt me, saying,
“Where is this God of yours?”
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!
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.
I hear the tumult of the raging seas
as your waves and surging tides sweep over me.
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.
“O God my rock,” I cry,
“why have you forgotten me?
Why must I wander around in grief,
oppressed by my enemies?”
Their taunts break my bones.
They scoff, “Where is this God of yours?”
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!
After reading this Psalm, my thoughts then shifted from God’s daily and nightly guidance to thinking about the very first frost we experienced lately and the several thereafter and how for some that triggers discouragement, sadness, the blues, and the dread of winter. Just like in winter, some of our seasons of life area a little gray. Because of it’s rotation, the sun doesn’t feel as warm in the winter, it doesn’t shine as brightly and it definitely doesn’t shine as many hours although longer days are on the horizon. Yet we still long for the warmth and brightness of summer.
Now it sounds to me as if the writer of Psalm 42 definitely had a winter thing going on. Sometimes in our longing for the Lord, the enemy comes along and hurls discouragement at us. In our thirst for the Lord, the enemy taunts us and hurls insults at us. And in our discouragement, we sometimes call out – O God Why Have You Forgotten Me? But, I love how the writer constantly retrieved his mind from those low places. And, as we know all too well, in those moments of discouragement, sadness, brokenness, winter, it’s no easy feat to retrieve our thoughts. But, look how the writer did so, time and time again:
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!
I will praise Him again – my Savior and my God! When we are feeling the weight of the winters in our hearts and minds, it’s not as easy as just snapping out of it, being positive, changing our attitudes, thinking of something else. But, we can turn the focus from our thoughts to praising the Lord. When we’re assailed by winter thoughts, don’t try to unthink them, we can’t do that on our own, Praise the Lord! Did you know that earnestly calling out His name is an act of praise? Did you know that saying thank you, Lord, is an act of praise? Did you know saying I love you, Lord, is an act of praise? Anytime we shift the focus from ourselves to Jesus, it’s an act of praise. The Psalms are full of praises, write one down, memorize one, rely on one throughout the winter.
The beauty of it is that winter is a season and seasons change and with each season comes fuller sun and much needed warmth.