Lenten Daily Reflection 2020-04-04
Psalm 42
1 As the deer longs for the water-brooks, *
so longs my soul for you, O God.
2 My soul is athirst for God, athirst for the living God; *
when shall I come to appear before the presence of God?
3 My tears have been my food day and night, *
while all day long they say to me,
"Where now is your God?"
4 I pour out my soul when I think on these things; *
how I went with the multitude and led them into the
house of God,
5 With the voice of praise and thanksgiving, *
among those who keep holy-day.
6 Why are you so full of heaviness, O my soul? *
and why are you so disquieted within me?
7 Put your trust in God; *
for I will yet give thanks to him,
who is the help of my countenance, and my God.
8 My soul is heavy within me; *
therefore I will remember you from the land of Jordan,
and from the peak of Mizar among the heights of Hermon.
9 One deep calls to another in the noise of your cataracts; *
all your rapids and floods have gone over me.
10 The Lord grants his loving-kindness in the daytime; *
in the night season his song is with me,
a prayer to the God of my life.
11 I will say to the God of my strength,
"Why have you forgotten me? *
and why do I go so heavily while the enemy
oppresses me?"
12 While my bones are being broken, *
my enemies mock me to my face;
13 All day long they mock me *
and say to me, "Where now is your God?"
14 Why are you so full of heaviness, O my soul? *
and why are you so disquieted within me?
15 Put your trust in God; *
for I will yet give thanks to him,
who is the help of my countenance, and my God.
The comparison of the soul with a deer is the first thing that stands out to me in this text. A deer is an animal guided by natural instincts; similarly, our souls long for more primal satisfactions. And maybe we lose touch with this fundamental part of ourselves when we surround ourselves with layers of material comfort (a dwelling, a paying job, food in the pantry). As our world is turned upside down, all that brings us reassurance seems to be suddenly at risk of disappearing. It’s easy to let oneself go into a dark place and lose hope.
This text reminds us that no matter how hard we are tested, no matter how much the world is changing around us, our true selves do not change. When we lose sight of this and when we’re looking for a sign, for reassurance, we need to find the way back to our souls. We don’t know what’s going to happen tomorrow, we can’t predict how the coming months are going to be but “in the night season his song is with me”. That’s our faith and that doesn’t change.