In Psalm 42 the Psalmist swings between feelings of despair and affirmations of faith. He says near the end of the Psalm:

I say to God, my rock, “Why have you forgotten me? Why must I walk about mournfully because the enemy oppresses me?” As with a deadly wound in my body, my adversaries taunt me, while they say to me continually, “Where is your God?”
Psalm 42:9-10

He affirms that God is “my rock,” then complains that it seems that God has abandoned him. This kind of experience is of course common among people; we may know in our minds that God is our solid foundation, yet feel as though God has “forgotten us” and is absent. At such times it is important to remember that God is far more than what we feel. Even when it seems that God is distant and is not helping us, we can know that God cares and is at work for our good, and we can put our trust in God. This is what the Psalmist will finally do – in the final verse of the Psalm – he will rely not on his feelings but on his faith, and will find his hope in God.

Prayer – Lead us, O Lord, when we are feeling low, to recognize that You are the rock of our salvation, and to put our trust in You. Share on X

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About the Author

Dr. David A. Palmer has been the senior pastor at the United Methodist Church of Kent since 1995. He has a B.A. from Wittenberg University, a Master of Divinity from Duke University, and a Doctor of Ministry from Princeton Theological Seminary. A native of Wooster, Ohio, he has served three other churches in east Ohio before coming to Kent. He and his wife, Mavis, have three children.