Psalms 42 and 43 are closely linked and deals with the question ‘Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me?’ (Ps 42:5,11, Ps 43:5) Often, this is our experience: feelings of disquiet and disturbance, a lack of peace, a restlessness or anxiety which we cannot quite understand. We may be able to describe the feelings, but we cannot necessarily identify the source of these feelings. When circumstances are adverse, it’s easy to understand a sense of turmoil, but so often, we experience these feelings even when there is nothing external to trigger them.
Sensibly, the psalmist brings these questions to God. He doesn’t try to pretend that all is well: ‘my soul is downcast with me’ (a statement of fact), but he deals with this in a spiritual way: ‘therefore I will remember You.’ (Ps 42:6) So often, we try to cover over our feelings with a plastic smile and a mask of pretence, but this simply buries the feelings deeper within. Repression is never a long-term satisfactory solution. More profitable is to change the focus of our gaze, bringing those questions directly to God and focussing on who He is. We may be downcast, but as Alec Motyer reminds us, we serve an upbeat God! God is our stronghold (Ps 43:2); He is the One whose light and faithful care lead us. (Ps 43:3) As Casting Crowns sing, ‘there’s a place where fear has to face the God You know’. (‘Oh My Soul’, Casting Crowns) God’s light and love will be enough for even the most Eeyore-like among us. A downcast soul is no match for an upbeat God!
