Psalm Forty - Two

Verse 1-2:
As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O God.
My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God?

Verse 11:
Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God.

I love David's transparency before God. In the same Psalm He declares his thirst for more of God in his life and then tries to figure out why he is so downcast. I believe this is a beautiful picture of the human condition. We can tend to be like H.G. Wells' description of Mr. Polly: "not so much a human being as a civil war."

It begs the question, "If everyday with God is sweeter than the day before, why in the world is today so difficult?"

David seems to be having this challenge. I think it's important to point out that his desire for God and his emotions may be in conflict, but his heart is prioritizing what is important, and his mind is helping him down a beautiful road of reasoning. David's self-talk at the end of verse 11 brings me great comfort today.

I will put my hope in God (not man).
I will praise Him because He is my Savior.
He is MY GOD!