Psalm 42
The beauty and depth of this psalm demands more than a casual reading. Its wonder is enriched by contemplation. This psalm is a conflict-laden song and is a story from the hard edge of life. As humans we try to avoid suffering and hardship; we try to make everything safe, pastel, and soft. But that is not living, and no lessons are learned in that kind of life. Those things that teach us best are often the ones we try hardest to avoid.
Suffering is seen in our understanding of verse 1. We often picture a deer coming to a stream for a quiet sip. That is not, emphatically not, the case. A panting deer is a deer that has been running for its life for a long time. This is no casual sip but desperation because a predator is right behind it. Exhaustion and thirst drive the deer to the river. Here he will drink and try to lose his pursuers. Some deer have been known to swim deep rivers to get away. It is reported they will go so deep that only their nose will be out of the water.
Life can be like that. While the deer runs to water to refresh and survive, we run to God. This whole psalm is a study in a desperate struggle for survival.
“”Lord, help me to run to You for protection and refreshment as I am being chased by the enemy. AMEN”
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