- Read: Psalm 42
- Watch: The Wilderness (Bible Project)
Welcome to summer, now that we have officially entered the season of heat. And welcome to our Summer of Psalms, where we enter a seasonal rhythm of rest.
With the summer heat bearing down on us, do you ever find yourself incredibly thirsty? Do you ever feel like you just can’t get enough water?
That is exactly how the psalmist felt. He compared his spiritual longing to a deer panting for a stream of water in a parched land.
Psalm 42 is what we call a “self-talk” psalm. I don’t know about you, but I have always talked to myself. Growing up in the great outdoors, it was easy to get lost in my own head. Looking back, I think some of it actually stemmed from childhood trauma; there were times I secretly believed I was my only friend, when in reality, I was becoming my own worst enemy.
Like the psalmist, we all have moments where we feel completely alone, as if life is just one miserable day after another. Our hearts break, and tears become our only food.
Fortunately, Scripture gives us a powerful roadmap for these moments. The psalmist doesn’t ignore his pain; he confronts it. He asks himself honestly: “Why am I discouraged? Why is my heart so sad?” And then comes the pivotal “change of heart.” A intentional resetting of focus: “I will put my hope in God.” This is a self-determining step. It is a declaration that despite the raging seas of life and the surging waves of our circumstances, we will cry out to God for mercy. We choose to put our hope in Christ Jesus, our Savior and friend. Even in the midst of grief, this shift allows us to sing, “It is well with my soul.”
Are you thirsty today? Are you in the middle of a storm?
Turn your eyes upon Jesus. Declare that your hope and your trust are in the Lord. Yes, we have tears, and yes, we have troubles—but we also have hope! Our hope is in the God who meets us in the wilderness, renews our strength, carries our burdens, and overflows our lives with rivers of living water.
Choose today to put your trust in Him.
Prayer:
Why am I discouraged? Why is my heart so sad? Lord, help me to look past my circumstances today. I choose to step out of my own head and place my life into Your hands. You are my rock and my rescuer. Refresh my weary soul and remind me that my hope is securely found in You alone. Amen.
Discussion Questions:
- Identifying the “Thirst” The psalmist compares his spiritual longing to a deer panting for water in a dry land. If you look closely at your life right now, what is your soul actually “thirsty” for? (e.g., peace, control, validation, rest).
How have you been trying to quench that thirst outside of God? - The Content of Your “Self-Talk” Pastor Mark shared how easy it is to become our own worst enemy when we get trapped in our own heads. When you are discouraged or overwhelmed, what does your internal narrative sound like? Are you repeating your worries to yourself, or are you doing what the psalmist did—actively reminding your soul to hope in God?
- Praising in the Waves We can declare “It is well with my soul” even while the waves of life are still crashing around us. What is one specific circumstance or “storm” in your life right now where you need to make a conscious choice to trust God, even before the situation gets resolved?
July’s Psalm for Memorization:
Psalm 103
A psalm of David.
1 Let all that I am praise the Lord;
with my whole heart, I will praise his holy name.
2 Let all that I am praise the Lord;
may I never forget the good things he does for me.
3 He forgives all my sins
and heals all my diseases.
4 He redeems me from death
and crowns me with love and tender mercies.
5 He fills my life with good things.
My youth is renewed like the eagle’s!
6 The Lord gives righteousness
and justice to all who are treated unfairly.
7 He revealed his character to Moses
and his deeds to the people of Israel.
8 The Lord is compassionate and merciful,
slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love.
9 He will not constantly accuse us,
nor remain angry forever.
10 He does not punish us for all our sins;
he does not deal harshly with us, as we deserve.
11 For his unfailing love toward those who fear him
is as great as the height of the heavens above the earth.
12 He has removed our sins as far from us
as the east is from the west.
13 The Lord is like a father to his children,
tender and compassionate to those who fear him.
14 For he knows how weak we are;
he remembers we are only dust.
New Living Translation (NLT)
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.