A Wooded Night... Psalm 42

Tonight I spent some time in the woods reading the Bible, talking, and listening to God. I will admit, that at first I was pretty distracted by the cars and my cell phone. So I put my phone in my pocket and began walking down a trail to just see what I could see.

I like to think of myself as a country boy but I don't know it all. But as I was walking down the trail, I did see something I was sure of. A deer hoof print.



Of course, being a guy I am going to follow these prints as far as I can. So, I started chasing these prints for quite a while down different sets of trails. Not seeing one single deer, but being optimistic I kept following these random trails. With each trail they all ended in the same way. Down by this creek.

Now I am not the best at knowing scripture by any means, but I know how to use my Bible and look it up. Chasing deer prints and consistently ending up at the creek eventually led me to Psalm 42.

1 As the deer pants for streams of water,

    so my soul pants for you, my God.

2 My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.

    When can I go and meet with God?

3 My tears have been my food

    day and night,

while people say to me all day long,

    “Where is your God?”

4 These things I remember

    as I pour out my soul:

how I used to go to the house of God

    under the protection of the Mighty One

with shouts of joy and praise

    among the festive throng.

5 Why, my soul, are you downcast?

    Why so disturbed within me?

Put your hope in God,

    for I will yet praise him,

    my Savior and my God.

6 My soul is downcast within me;

    therefore I will remember you

from the land of the Jordan,

    the heights of Hermon—from Mount Mizar.

7 Deep calls to deep

    in the roar of your waterfalls;

all your waves and breakers

    have swept over me.

8 By day the Lord directs his love,

    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 must I go about mourning,

    oppressed by the enemy?”

10 My bones suffer mortal agony

    as my foes taunt me,

saying to me all day long,

    “Where is your God?”

11 Why, my soul, are you downcast?

    Why so disturbed within me?

Put your hope in God,

    for I will yet praise him,

    my Savior and my God.

Now I am going to be very transparent right now. At times, I struggle with doubt and depression. During these times, I tend to doubt God and have no hope in my life. And this past week, I have been going through one of those times with one of these moods. But God knew what I needed to hear in his Word today and revealed that to me. Yes, I knew the first verse of this particular chapter but never had I read any further. In this chapter, David sums up exactly how I feel during these difficult times in my life. But God also revealed an incredible truth to me tonight through this psalm of David's. 

PUT YOUR HOPE IN GOD, FOR I WILL YET PRAISE HIM, MY SAVIOR AND MY GOD.

If I just put my hope in God and praise my Lord and my God, He will take care of me, His child. And reveal to me much greater things than a hoof print or a calm creek in the woods. 

Yes, on this night the Lord brought his words in Psalm 42 alive to me. This deer along with two others were in the field as soon as I came off of the trails. They have complete hope and trust in the Lord. And He faithfully takes care of them and provides all they need to survive and brings them into our lives as a friendly reminder of how great our God is.

PUT YOUR HOPE IN GOD, FOR I WILL YET PRAISE HIM, MY SAVIOR AND MY GOD!