This month’s verse is taken from Psalm 43. So, I thought it would be appropriate to do a short study of this beautiful Psalm.
Author: Hezekiah
Background: Psalm 43 was written by Hezekiah, king of Judah, just before the efforts of Sennacherib, king of Assyria, to capture Jerusalem. At the height of the siege, an angel of the Lord struck the Assyrian camp, killing 185,000 Assyrian soldiers (see 2 Kings 19). The dark moods of the first part of this song (which is Psalm 42) begin to give way to more positive prayers.
Theme: This Psalm is a wonderful companion to Psalm 42. Together, they make a sadly beautiful song, and some Hebrew texts even present them as one. We see several refrains repeated in both psalms: “Why go I mourning?” (42:9 and 43:2) and “Why art thou cast down, O my soul?” (42:5, 42:11, and 43:5).
The psalmist pleads for light and truth to dispel the darkness and insecurity of Psalm 42. When our back is against the wall, we should rehearse past victories and put all our confidence in the Lord. We can delight in his joy, even when circumstances remain unchanged.
Personal Application: In your walk with Christ, there will be circumstances where no victory is in sight. When this happens, don’t give up! This is the time to start thinking about the marvelous things your heavenly Father has done for you in the past. Can you remember a time when you were backed into a corner with no way out, and God opened a door for you to escape from your difficulty? Of course you can. The same God who delivered you previously certainly come to your aid now. All you have to do is call on Him.
Memorize the beautiful refrain from verse 5: “Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me? hope in God: for I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God” (KJV). Put all of your hope in the God of your salvation, and He will give you joy even in adversity. The joy of knowing that, through Him, you are assured of ultimate victory.
Psalm 43
Judge me, O God, and plead my cause against an ungodly nation: O deliver me from the deceitful and unjust man.
For thou art the God of my strength: why dost thou cast me off? why go I mourning because of the oppression of the enemy?
O send out thy light and thy truth: let them lead me; let them bring me unto thy holy hill, and to thy tabernacles.
Then will I go unto the altar of God, unto God my exceeding joy: yea, upon the harp will I praise thee, O God my God.
Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me? hope in God: for I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God. (KJV)
This blog post is excerpted from Marilyn’s book, Experiencing God’s Heart: The Book of Psalms for Today.
