I spent a lot of time in hospitals growing up, but not because of any health issues. My grandparents, aunts, uncles, and dad were all in the medical field, and as I entered college, I thought I was going to join them in this family tradition. I watched my older brother and sister both become physicians, but the Lord guided me into a different career. Even though I don’t work in a hospital, medicine and healing still intrigue me.
When we look at Psalm 42, we can see that the psalmist is not in a good state. His diagnosis is probably a combination of things: thirsty, depressed, disconnected, exiled, homesick, and doubting. But he knows what the antidote is. He prescribes himself hope in God. Verses 5 and 11 say, “Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God.” But hope doesn’t come naturally for us, so we must preach it to ourselves in hard times. As the psalmist works through his emotions, he cries freely (vs. 3), talks to himself (vs. 5 and 11), remembers God (vs. 6 and 8), and prays honestly (vs. 9). He ends with the confident expectation and desire that God will do something good in the future.
I don’t know what struggles you’re facing, but I do know who is in control: “my Savior and my God.” He is mine, and I am His. He is YOUR Savior and YOUR God. The psalmist writes, “My Savior and my God,” pointing to a relationship, just like you say those are “my kids” or “my spouse.” You know them, understand them, love them, and have a relationship with them. God wants that intimate relationship and connection with us so that we can experience the presence and power of the Holy Spirit when we go through difficult times. He wants us to put our hope in Him.