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Psalm 42 - Hope in God; for I shall again praise Him, my salvation and my God

It's just such a beautifully written Psalm.

v1-2: My soul thirsts for God
v3-4a: Suffering in the meantime
v4b: In anticipation of the rejoicing to come
v5-8: Hope in God's steadfast love
v9-10: Oppression by my enemies
v11: Hope in God; for I shall again praise Him, my salvation and my God

v1-2: My soul thirsts for God
Verse 1 seems like the classic opening line from the hymn "As the deer". I guess I've never really reflected on the deep meaning behind this sentence until today.

As the deer pants for the water, so my soul longs after you

 Shouldn't this be the way we long for God? That longing that we can't live without. Why do we live like we don't need the water of life?

Verse 2 goes on to push that further - expressing the writer's desire to come before God. The double emphasis really brings this out really strongly...

v3-4a: Suffering in the meantime
The next 1.5 verses bring out the reality of the current situation. God may always be in control, but God does put us through trials. Tears can be our food by day and night - and surely we will be opposed by others who claim our God is nowhere if He cannot help us.

It's nothing but lies, out to pull us from the one God who loved us, of course. So...

v4b: In anticipation of the rejoicing to come
The writer describes the rejoicing that he will go about when God delivers him from his present sufferings. It's rather clearly implied that the author has a clear confidence of God's goodness - that trials of this present day someday will end and that he will celebrate and sing praises to God on that day.

v5-8: Hope in God's steadfast love
The next section focuses on the sure-ness of that hope the author has in God. Again, the descriptions are beautifully written. He first mentions the troubles he faces, then it's followed by these lines in verse 7.

Deep calls to deep, at the roar of Your waterfalls;
all Your breakers and Your waves have gone over me.

 By day the LORD commands His steadfast love;
and at night his song is with me.

 How amazing is that? Honestly I don't quite understand the waterfalls, but I do believe that it's an allusion to God's grace, love and mercy washing over us in that amount of power.

v9-10: Oppression by my enemies
Again, the author brings out his troubles to God - as his enemies taunt him and challenge God's power and love. He describes them as a deadly wound - and so they are. Facing them alone, by our own strength, it's easy to see I can't possibly live with all this pressure on me to forsake God (sadly).

It brings out the need for God, it brings out the reason why we need to hope in Him, to long for Him, because

 v11: Hope in God; for I shall again praise Him, my salvation and my God
This hope we have is sure, this hope is the reason why our souls shall not be cast down. This hope is the reason why our soul will not be in turmoil within us. Because we hope in God; for we surely shall again praise Him, our salvation and our God
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