GROW - Psalm 43

 GO to God in private prayer

Read Psalm 43

Observations

During the first read of this Psalm I thought it was very fascinating that it ended with the same repeated verse from Psalm 42:5 and 42:11.  It is likely that these two Psalms were written as one.  

The words used in the repeated verse 5 in the NLT are discouraged and sad.  Some of the other translations use words like despair, disturbed, cast down, disquieted.  The Message translation uses the terms down in the dumps and crying the blues.  Clearly the writer is in a deep depression. 

When there is such hopelessness the only way to find hope is in God. Verse 3 gives us the path to hope.

Psalm 43:3 

Send out your light and your truth;

    let them guide me.

When we are led out of the dark despair and into God's light then what do we do?  This Psalm tells us that too, in verse 4 where we find joy!

Psalm 43:4 

There I will go to the altar of God,
    to God—the source of all my joy.
I will praise you with my harp,
    O God, my God!

Write the lesson learned

The Word of God is the source of discovering the paths we should take.  When we find ourselves in a dark place then the path out is to go to God and ask Him to send the light.  That path of light leads us to God who is the source of joy and our only response should be to praise Him.