Why Are You Cast Down, O My Soul?
Psalm 42
Does your soul ever feel cast down? Are you ever in turmoil? Do your tears flow day and night? Do you ever feel forgotten by God? Then Psalm 42 is the prayer for you.
This short prayer, only 11 verses long, expresses a key part of the human condition, even the condition of the follower of Christ. The psalmist’s soul is cast down (5), filled with turmoil (5), cries day and night (3), and feels wounded to the bone (10). Furthermore, the one praying feels forgotten by God (9). Listen to the cries of this prayer:
1 As a deer pants for flowing streams,
so pants my soul for you, O God.
2 My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.
When shall I come and appear before God?
3 My tears have been my food day and night,
while they say to me all the day long, “Where is your God?”
4 These things I remember, as I pour out my soul:
how I would go with the throng and lead them in procession to the house of God
with glad shouts and songs of praise, a multitude keeping festival.
5 Why are you cast down, O my soul,
and why are you in turmoil within me?
Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation
6 and my God. My soul is cast down within me;
therefore I remember you from the land of Jordan and of Hermon, from Mount Mizar.
7 Deep calls to deep at the roar of your waterfalls;
all your breakers and your waves have gone over me.
8 By day the LORD commands his steadfast love,
and at night his song is with me, a prayer to the God of my life.
9 I say to God, my rock: “Why have you forgotten me?
Why do I go mourning because of the oppression of the enemy?”
10 As with a deadly wound in my bones, my adversaries taunt me,
while they say to me all the day long, “Where is your God?”
11 Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me?
Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation and my God.”
(Psalm 42:1–11 ESV)
It is important to note that this is not the prayer of an unbeliever or of one who is inactive in their faith. No. This person is very active in their faith. They would not only regularly go to the house of God, but they would lead others in the procession (4). The psalmist calls God “my rock” (9), and he thirsts for the presence of God in his life, longing to appear before God (2). His nights are filled with songs and prayer (8).
All that to say that we can’t dismiss this “downcast soul” as one who just isn’t praying enough or not going to church enough. In fact, this prayer takes place within a downcast soul!
There is some evidence of adversaries (10) who taunt the psalmist saying, “Where is your God?” He also experiences some sort of oppression of an enemy (9), though the exact nature of this oppression, if it more than taunting, is not described.
What makes the prayer so relevant, and so helpful, is the many confessions of faith throughout the prayer. He knows the steadfast love of the Lord (8). He knows the Lord is his rock (9). He knows the Lord is a living God (2). In fact, it is this deep belief in who God is that causes him to pray. Why pray if God is not loving, not living, not a rock of refuge who might offer any help?
How does this prayer speak to those who are feeling cast down? It reminds us of this basic truth: sometimes, you have to preach the gospel to yourself, over and over again.
The psalmist asks himself the question, “Why are you cast down, O my soul?” And then the psalmist answers his own question: “Hope in God, for I shall again praise Him.” We should not miss that this question/answer is found twice in these short 11 verses: once in the middle (5) and once at the very end (11). He preaches to his soul in the middle of his turmoil and at the end of his prayer. Once is not enough.
The gospel truth is that the Lord is our rock, our salvation, our hope, and promises to be our salvation. The prayer for deliverance from our enemies will always be answered, albeit not always when we want it answered. There will come a time when we will praise Him for saving us.
As we are waiting, what do we do with our downcast soul?
First, we pour out our soul to the Lord. The enemy wants to make us think the path to happiness is to withdraw from God since He is obviously not going to do anything about our problems. But there is no hope in running from the only Rock and Savior.
Second, we can be angry, frustrated, sad, and in turmoil, but we must confess that He alone is our hope. Here lies the faith challenge of being downcast in soul. Where are we going to place our hope for salvation? Can a vacation solve the problem? New job? A new friend or adventure? More caffeine or ice cream? Some of these might touch our moods for the moment, but we know in our soul that we are longing for something much deeper. This is why the psalmist cries out, “Deep calls to deep” (7). In our longing and waiting and crying and singing, we know that our only hope is in Him.
Third, we can practice proactive thanksgiving. Thanksgiving is our response to God for His gracious work in our lives. Proactive thanksgiving is giving thanks to God for the gracious work that we know He will do in the future even though we are waiting for it now. The psalmist says with great confidence, “I shall again praise Him, my salvation” (5). This moment, this oppression, this sadness, this feeling of being forgotten, will pass and God will deliver and save. Faith, the conviction of that which is unseen, drives proactive thanksgiving.
Finally, this psalm reminds us that the act of preaching to our own soul must be repeated day after day. The oppression of the enemy is rarely a one-time act. Our adversary prowls about constantly looking for opportunities to attack. Don’t be discouraged that yesterday’s gospel sermon to your own soul must be repeated today. If His mercies are new every morning, so are our battle cries. Why are you cast down, O my soul? Let me tell once more, hope in God, for I shall again praise Him, my Savior and my God!
This article is part of a yet to be published work by Pastor Todd Pylant entitled, “Ancient Problems, Modern Prayers.”