O my God, my soul is cast down within me

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(The views expressed in this blog are my own and should not be taken as inspired in any way.)

Psalm 42:6–11, “O my God, my soul is cast down within me: therefore will I remember thee from the land of Jordan, and of the Hermonites, from the hill Mizar. Deep calleth unto deep at the noise of thy waterspouts: all thy waves and thy billows are gone over me. Yet the LORD will command his lovingkindness in the daytime, and in the night his song shall be with me, and my prayer unto the God of my life. I will say unto God my rock, Why hast thou forgotten me? why go I mourning because of the oppression of the enemy? As with a sword in my bones, mine enemies reproach me; while they say daily unto me, Where is thy God? Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me? hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God.”

David had been remembering the Lord’s goodness because he was trying to escape from a time of poor morale. He was feeling sad and lonely but he knew that he could overcome these circumstances by remembering the Lord and all that He had done. The Lord controls the entire creation but David felt as though the waves of a great storm were passing over him. He lifted his mind up to the Lord and His love and asked why the Lord had forgotten him. His enemies were taunting him and asking him what had happened to his God, the God who was the source of his joy and gratitude. David knew that he just had to put all his hope in the Lord because he knew that, eventually, the Lord would bless him.

As the hart panteth after the water brooks

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(The views expressed in this blog are my own and should not be taken as inspired in any way.)

Psalm 42:1–5, “As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God. My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God: when shall I come and appear before God? My tears have been my meat day and night, while they continually say unto me, Where is thy God? When I remember these things, I pour out my soul in me: for I had gone with the multitude, I went with them to the house of God, with the voice of joy and praise, with a multitude that kept holyday. Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted in me? hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him for the help of his countenance.”

David had come to admire and love the Lord during the course of his life. He knew the Lord’s majesty when he was a young shepherd and saw the wonders of the heavens as he watched the sheep during the long night hours while he protected his flock. He had seen the greatness of the Lord when he fought Goliath and many other enemies and triumphed. More than all of this he had sinned against the Lord and knew the Lord’s gentle grace and mercy after he confessed his sin, repented and was forgiven. All in all, David longed to spend time alone with the Lord in prayer, thanksgiving and worship. He was attacked by his enemies and they mocked him for trusting in the Lord for they believed that the Lord couldn’t protect David at all. However, when David was able to go to a private place where he could pray or go into the public place of worship, he was able to rejoice in the Lord’s love and goodness. At those time he asked himself why he ever felt downhearted because the Lord is trustworthy and always available to hear the cries of those who trust the Lord.

Mine enemies speak evil of me

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(The views expressed in this blog are my own and should not be taken as inspired in any way.)

Psalm 41:5–13, “Mine enemies speak evil of me, When shall he die, and his name perish? And if he come to see me, he speaketh vanity: his heart gathereth iniquity to itself; when he goeth abroad, he telleth it. All that hate me whisper together against me: against me do they devise my hurt. An evil disease, say they, cleaveth fast unto him: and now that he lieth he shall rise up no more. Yea, mine own familiar friend, in whom I trusted, which did eat of my bread, hath lifted up his heel against me. But thou, O LORD, be merciful unto me, and raise me up, that I may requite them. By this I know that thou favourest me, because mine enemy doth not triumph over me. And as for me, thou upholdest me in mine integrity, and settest me before thy face for ever. Blessed be the LORD God of Israel from everlasting, and to everlasting. Amen, and Amen.”

David’s enemies hated him and said bad things about him behind his back. They were waiting for him to die so that they could at last feel as though they had won. However, when David though about his situation he realised that his enemies still hadn’t won because he was still alive. He knew about the Lord’s integrity and knew that the Lord would never do anything to harm those who trusted in Him. He knew that he believed in the Lord and was counted among the righteous. The Lord lasts forever and He will never fail or change His perfect and loving nature.

Blessed is he that considereth the poor

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(The views expressed in this blog are my own and should not be taken as inspired in any way.)

Psalm 41:1–4, “Blessed is he that considereth the poor: the LORD will deliver him in time of trouble. The LORD will preserve him, and keep him alive; and he shall be blessed upon the earth: and thou wilt not deliver him unto the will of his enemies. The LORD will strengthen him upon the bed of languishing: thou wilt make all his bed in his sickness. I said, LORD, be merciful unto me: heal my soul; for I have sinned against thee.”

One of the great things about the Lord is that, even though He is Almighty God and far superior to everyone on the earth, He cares for the poor and the needy, the lonely and the orphan. The Lord has a special place in His heart for those who are in need and struggle from day to day. He will deliver the person in their trials at all times. The Lord is merciful because He doesn’t always treat sinners according to their sin but according to His grace.

Withhold not thou thy tender mercies from me

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Would you like to read James McNaught’s novel Sinking Sand”? click here: Sinking Sand

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(The views expressed in this blog are my own and should not be taken as inspired in any way.)

Psalm 40:11–17, “Withhold not thou thy tender mercies from me, O LORD: let thy lovingkindness and thy truth continually preserve me. For innumerable evils have compassed me about: mine iniquities have taken hold upon me, so that I am not able to look up; they are more than the hairs of mine head: therefore my heart faileth me. Be pleased, O LORD, to deliver me: O LORD, make haste to help me. Let them be ashamed and confounded together that seek after my soul to destroy it; let them be driven backward and put to shame that wish me evil. Let them be desolate for a reward of their shame that say unto me, Aha, aha. Let all those that seek thee rejoice and be glad in thee: let such as love thy salvation say continually, The LORD be magnified. But I am poor and needy; yet the Lord thinketh upon me: thou art my help and my deliverer; make no tarrying, O my God.”

After looking forward to the future, David considered his own situation again. He had been through such a hard time but the Lord had delivered him so he prayed that the Lord would continue to bless him. He was in danger all the time because there were so many who wanted to destroy him. He remembered that he was just a poor and needy man who needed the Lord.

Sacrifice and offering thou didst not desire

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(The views expressed in this blog are my own and should not be taken as inspired in any way.)

Psalm 40:6–10, “Sacrifice and offering thou didst not desire; mine ears hast thou opened: burnt offering and sin offering hast thou not required. Then said I, Lo, I come: in the volume of the book it is written of me, I delight to do thy will, O my God: yea, thy law is within my heart. I have preached righteousness in the great congregation: lo, I have not refrained my lips, O LORD, thou knowest. I have not hid thy righteousness within my heart; I have declared thy faithfulness and thy salvation: I have not concealed thy lovingkindness and thy truth from the great congregation.”

As David meditated on the Lord and all the good things that he had done, the king began to think about the ultimate promise that the Lord had made. The Lord promised, in the beginning, that one day, He would finally defeat Satan, the source of all evil and trouble on the earth. The Lord had asked Israel to offer sacrifices as a temporary remedy for sin but the ultimate Servant would come and offer Himself to the Lord. This servant, a descendant of Eve, would come, willingly, to do the Lord’s will and effect this final victory of good over evil. He would preach righteousness to all the people of the world. He would come and make public the way of the Lord and show the Lord’s love, grace and mercy to the world.

I waited patiently for the LORD

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Would you like to read James McNaught’s novel Sinking Sand”? click here: Sinking Sand

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(The views expressed in this blog are my own and should not be taken as inspired in any way.)

Psalm 40:1–5, “I waited patiently for the LORD; and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry. He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings. And he hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God: many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in the LORD. Blessed is that man that maketh the LORD his trust, and respecteth not the proud, nor such as turn aside to lies. Many, O LORD my God, are thy wonderful works which thou hast done, and thy thoughts which are to us-ward: they cannot be reckoned up in order unto thee: if I would declare and speak of them, they are more than can be numbered.”

Much of David’s early life was spent waiting in patience. He had to wait many years before he became the king. Even though he had to wait, he knew that the Lord heard his cry and acted for his benefit. He was in a terrible place, perhaps this could have been an emotional place as well as a physical place. He may well have struggled with depression but then he began to think on the Lord rather than on his own circumstances. The Lord gave him a new song to sing and delivered him from his depression. The Lord God only does good things and evil happens when people ignore the Lord and all His wisdom. David knew that he could talk about the Lord and His goodness for the rest of his life and would still not run out of new and exciting things to talk about.