Erica at Butterfly Kisses has once again resumed “Psalms Sunday” in which whoever wants to can read and study the selected Psalm for the day and “share what the Psalm meant to you. Maybe there was a verse or two that spoke to you. Maybe the Psalm made you think of a story you would like to share with us. Maybe you would like to paraphrase the Psalm. Or maybe you would like to do an in-depth word study. What you write, what you share is up to you.” She provides a “Mr. Linky” each Sunday so those who participate can share the link to their own posts about the Psalm.

I really enjoyed doing this before. The Psalms are pretty easy to breeze through, looking for the verses that are familiar or that touch my heart, without really studying them in context. The being able to read and comment on what others have posted helps even more to bring out things I may have missed in my own study.

The Psalm for today is Psalm 42:

1 As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God.

2 My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God: when shall I come and appear before God?

3 My tears have been my meat day and night, while they continually say unto me, Where is thy God?

4 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.

5 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.

6 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.

7 Deep calleth unto deep at the noise of thy waterspouts: all thy waves and thy billows are gone over me.

8 Yet the LORD will command his lovingkindness in the day time, and in the night his song shall be with me, and my prayer unto the God of my life.

9 I will say unto God my rock, Why hast thou forgotten me? why go I mourning because of the oppression of the enemy?

10 As with a sword in my bones, mine enemies reproach me; while they say daily unto me, Where is thy God?

11 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.

This is one of my favorite Psalms. Probably every Christian has gone through these times of talking to oneself, encouraging oneself in the Lord. There is nothing like a crisis to strip away distractions and false props and to create in us a realization for our deep need of God. When our tears are our meat, when others ask where our God is, when enemies oppress and reproach, when we’re cast down and disquieted, when we feel God has forgotten us, we suddenly find ourselves thirsting for His presence and power in our lives. We change our focus from the many problems to God: we remind ourselves to hope in Him with the faith that we will yet praise Him for His answer and deliverance.

Verse 5 speaks of “the help of His countenance” and verse 11 “health of my countenance.” When I know His countenance (which Dictionary.com defines as “face, visage, calm facial expression, favor, encouragement, moral support”) is upon me, I am helped, and my countenance is restored to health (Verse 11). He not only helps me with His countenance, He is the health of my countenance and my God.