Francine Douglas

What is the psalmist feeling during this spiritual struggle? The mood of the Psalmist reelects a sense of dryness and emptiness based on the sadness he feels evident in the tears and his question directed at God asking if He God had forgotten him (42:9). The Psalmist seem to also feel like a cast away by his circumstance in his asking when can he go and meet with God (42:2) and certainly by the negative view of his friends concerning his relationship with God, when he recounts their ridicule questioning about 'where is his God'. How does he combat his spiritual depression? The Psalmist pulls on his hope in God connected to a knowing that God's light is truth over the darkness of depression and that God's faithful care is sure(34:3). From this knowing, the Psalmist encourages his soul to hope in the God of his joy and delight (43:4). He further reminds his soul that God is his Saviour (past tense) which points to a testimony of his encounter with God deliverance in the past. Have you ever felt this way? Absolutely! I can recall a very lengthy period of trials that seemed to relay from season to season spanning 10 years. How did you reach out to God at this time? During this time the word of God, especially the Psalm, prayer, fasting and letters to God was my anchor mixed in with tears and lamenting. In the midst of each storm, God's deliverance was sure, and His love and faithfulness clarified where I doubted him as a child growing up.

What does it mean that David desires to "dwell in the house of the Lord"? David's heart yearns for the presence of God to be with him in all that he does as he go about his daily tasks. David's desire to dwell in the house of God also represents his pursuit of God's heart in surrender to the will and purpose of God for his life. What does it mean to "seek his face"? Seeking God's face is really seeking God's heart in surrender, trust and obedience. This is a heart posture which reflects a holy reverence and fear of God, giving Him full control over carnal desires. Allowing God to align our desires to His good and perfect plan for us. I am reminded of Numbers 6:25 which says "The Lord make His face shine on you and be gracious to you". God's face is light which symbolizes His approval and direction which He gives those who surrender their own will to Him. How does David provide hope at the end of this Psalm? David encourages patience and trust in God that He will never forsake us but remains our salvation always.

For the exercises, I chose exercise 5, 4 and 2 for the Psalms 8, 19 and 139 respectively. Writing my own version, Paraphrasing and writing out the Psalms lead me down such an intimate path to see God in all His love, majesty and glory concerning a world and people He loved so passionately. To think that a God so great could love us so much even when we were His enemies is mind blowing. Every detail of creation displays the infinite love of God, and such detail is undeniable in how God blew His breath in man, sent His son to die for us and multiplies creation by fearfully knitting us in our mother's womb. my heart is humbled and surrendered on a new level. Bless the Lord oh my soul and all that is within me, bless His holy name!!!

A sense of humble conviction towards righteousness and holy reverence seems to have overwhelmed the Psalmist in his wonder of creation. The mood of the Psalm communicates the Psalmist surrender to God's deep knowledge of all things including the emotional terrain of our hearts. The Psalmist in his concluding prayer in verses 23-24, seem to ask God to examine his heart posture against arrogance, judgementalism and pride towards people who may not be living according to the way of God, lest his way also be found wanting.

The common thread as between verses 1 to 6 and verses 7 to 13, is the consistency and profoundness of God's omniscience and ordinances displayed through creation itself also revealed in the word of God. The Psalmist seem to bask in God's Word by capturing the realness and depth of same with the use of imagery from nature/creation. I can certainly relate to the Psalmist where the marvel of the spoken word in scripture draws me to a deeper revelation through the awesome wonders of creation around me. The Psalmist's wonder in creation seem to affect him in a way that provokes a repentant heart, in surrender to the fear of God and His unfathomable power and mystery. In the classic prayer of verse 14, David is asking God to keep him pure and by God's mercy and grace, accept his offering of praise.

This Psalm teaches that God is sovereign ruler of all created things in, above and beneath the earth because He is creator. God is Lord with lordship over the earth He created and without the effort of man, the heavens and the nature ascribes to Him the glory and majesty due unto His name as Jehovah God. This Psalm teaches that, human beings, though frail and failing as mortals, are loved by God of all creation revealed in the comparison of the Psalmist that humans are positioned a little lower than the angels, glorified and honoured by God. Through this Psalm, we learn that, Christ as a sacrificial lamb, became the second restored Adam, honoured and glorified through death, hell and resurrection. Through this redemption, Christ is the stronghold against the world, flesh and the devil, making sin powerless forever by Christ's blood. As humans, God had chosen us to be good stewards in the earth over creatures and created things. By this we are called as restorers to restore what had been lost through the first Adam in the Garden of Eden, so that that the world and the soil of the earth will flourish in hope and peace in communion with God through by the powerful work of redemption.