Where Is Thy God? - Psalm 42:1-11

42 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.

Twice in this Psalm is the question, “Where is thy God?”. Those who were asking the question were not interested in helping the Psalmist in his spiritual walk, but were mocking

him for his faith. The unbeliever likes it when God seems to be doing nothing for those who trust in Him. They were hoping the Psalmist would lose all faith, and in his doubting God, he would become like them.

Has the Psalmist done something wrong? Has sin come between him and his Lord that has caused this silence from God? Why is it that the Lord seems so distant and unaware of his needs?

We have probably all thought upon these questions at certain times in our lives as believers. Let’s look at the Psalmist in these verses.

In vs 1-3, he is doing the right things. He is seeking God as a thirsty man or animal would seek water. His heart is broken and tears fell down his cheeks all night while desiring God.

In vs 4, he wasn’t out in the wrong places, but was in the “house of God” to worship on the appointed days.

In vs 5, even though there is still a lack of closeness to God, he doesn’t lose hope. Like Peter in the gospels, the Psalmist could have said, “Lord, to whom shall we go?”

In vs 6-7, even as his peers are mocking his God, he declares that wherever he goes, and no matter what happens, he would remember his God.

In vs 8, the Psalmist, even though he doesn’t know why things are happening in his spiritual life as they are, his faith is in the faithfulness of God. He believes the Lord will show up in His own timing.

In vs 9-10, his peers are still doing what they do best: trying to further discourage him in seeking God. The Psalmist asks the question, “Why hast thou forgotten me?” The Psalmist expresses his sadness and hurt to the only One who will listen to him - God!

In vs 11, I believe the Psalmist came to a much-needed revelation concerning himself and God. He says that he does not need to be troubled over his circumstances because he has a God who is faithful and he will trust in Him regardless of what others say or do. He ends with the conclusion that one day the peers will be gone, God will be there, and he will be praising Him.

Our feelings concerning God may waver, but our faith in God will not disappoint.