Psalm 42:8 - Songs in the Night.
Psalm 42:8 (NKJV) The LORD will command His
lovingkindness in the daytime, And in the night His song
shall be with me - A prayer to the God of my life.
Psalm 42:8 (CEV) Every day, you are kind,
and at night you give me a song as my prayer to
you, the living Lord God.
INTRODUCTION
Psalms 42-43 The refrain "Why are you
cast down, O my soul?" ties these two psalms
together (42:5, 11; 43:5). Why was the writer so
depressed?
For one thing, God seemed far from him in
his hour of need (42:1-3). He felt like a
thirsty deer in the desert, searching for water. But
the Lord is never far away; He is near even when
you do not recognize Him (Isa. 41:10; Heb. 13:5;
Ps. 48:7).
The writer's depression was aggravated
because he looked back at "the good old days"
(42:4-6). He longed to return to Jerusalem and
minister in the temple. Sometimes retirement or a
change of residence will make people depressed. The
older we get, the less we enjoy change.
The discouraging talk of others was a
third contributing factor (42:3, 9-10): Has God
forgotten you? Where is your God? The answer is in
Psalm 115. Listen to God and not to the foolish
talk of men.
What should you do when depression starts
to control you? "Hope In God" (42:5, 11; 43:5).
Look at the future and not at the past. If you
feel drowned by circumstances, keep in mind that
they are His waves and billows (42:7), and He
knows what is best for you. Stop feeding on your
feelings (42:3) and start feeding on His Word (43:3).
God will guard you and guide you, no matter how
miserable you may feel. God is greater than your
feelings. Walk by faith and He will see you through.
[Chapter by Chapter Bible Commentary by Warren
Wiersbe]
How We Live " Overcoming Doubt
The writer of this psalm was feeling low.
He wondered, Where are you, God? Have you
forgotten me? Yet somehow he was able to remember what
God had done for him, and somehow he was able to
praise God in the dark times.
We all face times of discouragement,
times when we wonder if God is really there. Some
of us even face extended periods of depression.
When you feel yourself slipping into the zone of
doubt, one antidote is praise - remembering God's
goodness to you. Read the Bible to recall what God
has done for others in the past. If you have
kept a journal of your Christian walk, review
your own personal record of God's answered prayer
in your life.
Just as a deer depends upon water for
life, so we believers depend upon God for
spiritual life. When you begin to feel separated from
God or wonder if he cares about your situation,
take advantage of the psalmist's
"antidepressant": praise. Think about how much God blesses you
and takes care of you day by day. Dwell upon his
goodness and mercy. You'll be amazed by what happens
when you start praising instead of doubting. [The
One Year Bible for New Believers]
COMMENTARY PEARLS
There's nothing like the songs of the
faith to help us live beyond the grind. Why else
would God have inspired those age-old
compositions? Surely, He realized the lasting value of
each musical masterpiece and therefore preserved
them to help us persevere. They drip with the oil
of glory that enables us to live beyond the
grind.
Who hasn't been comforted, when
frightened and alone, by the reminder that "The LORD is
my shepherd, I shall not want" (Psalm 23:1)?
Who hasn't gained fresh courage from "The
LORD is my light and my salvation - so why should
I be afraid?" (Psalm 27:1)?
Who hasn't felt strangled by the grip of
guilt only to find soothing relief from "Have
mercy on me, O God, because of your unfailing
love. Because of your great compassion, blot out
the stain of my sins Wash me, and I will be
whiter than snow" (Psalm 51:1, 7)? Encouraging
words.
And for those days when we feel
forgotten, overlooked, shoved aside, there is strength
in "Those who live in the shelter of the Most
High will find rest in the shadow of the
Almighty" (Psalm 91:1).
And, again, no one can measure the oil
that flows through "He has removed our sins as
far from us as the east is from the west ... For
He knows how weak we are; he remembers we are
only dust" (Psalm 103:12, 14). Great and glorious
reassurance.
Few people have appreciated the uplift of
a song like David, who exclaimed:
Each day the LORD pours his unfailing
love upon me, and through each night I sing his
songs, praying to God who gives me life. Psalm
42:8
God's Book is full of such songs; 150 of
them. Songs of victory, affirmation, and
encouragement songs of confidence-giving strength, of
hope to go on, of quiet compassion. Let's sing
them frequently and allow their time-tested
lyrics to oil our day especially in this season of
celebration. By doing so, we'll live beyond the grind.
[Chuck Swindoll www.insight.org.]
Have you ever been awakened in the middle
of the night and had a Christian song or a
worship chorus going through your mind? If so, then
that tells me you are laying up the things of God
in your heart. Instead of waking up with the
latest pop music in your head, you are thinking of
a Christian song or maybe a Scripture verse.
That is a song in the night God has given you.
When Paul and Silas were thrown into
prison in Philippi, Acts 16 tells us that "at
midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing
hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to
them' (verse 25).
The word listening used here is
significant. In the original language, it means to listen
very, very carefully. Another way to translate it
is they listened with pleasure. There are
some things that aren't a pleasure to listen to -
they are painful, like fingernails on a
chalkboard. But this was pleasurable, like when your
favorite song comes on the radio and you turn it up.
Oh, I love this song! This is a great song! That
is how the prisoners were listening.
I doubt they had ever heard anyone sing
in that dungeon before. And I think the simple
fact that they were singing at all in such a
place was a powerful testimony. It was a platform
for evangelism. You see, you can talk about
trusting God in adversity, but when someone sees it
in action in your life, there is an undeniable
authenticity. It is a powerful witness. Worship can be a
powerful tool for a nonbeliever to be exposed to.
When you are in pain, the midnight hour
is not the easiest time for a worship service.
But God can give you songs in the night. And
never doubt it: people will be listening. [Every
Day with Jesus by Greg Laurie]
GREAT LINKS TO PSALMS IN SONG
Psalm 42 (Lyric Video)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ctThGKhcoEw
Psalm 42 Song - As the Deer
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z34Scuw18oE
Psalm Songs - The Psalms Put to Music
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLTe7wTrfN3rR4OWvHv8CCoCIqNZvQPRKg
YOUR COMMENTS
If anyone has a paraphrase, commentary or
testimony on this passage of Scripture, either
personal or otherwise, I would be interested in
hearing from you. Thanks in advance and let's keep
uplifting Jesus that all might be drawn to Him. Fred
Gibbs
LINKS WORTH CHECKING OUT
Most Important Decision in Life:
http://www.youtube.com/embed/WGnEuGwvXqU?rel=0
A Man without Equal by Bill Bright:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NiVa7UoruIo
Seeking God Made Real:
http://vimeo.com/31489782
Prayer Made Real:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tc8VdMV26VE
Importance of Choice:
http://creationhealth.com/CREATION-Health/Choice [click on video]
Medical Seminar on Healthful Living by David
DeRose, MD, MPH:
https://www.smartlifestyletv.com/lifestart
LINKS FOR BIBLE STUDIES
Lifting Up Jesus Bible Studies:
http://www.liftingupjesus.net/
Amazing Facts Bible Studies:
http://www.amazingfacts.org/bible-study/bible-study-guides.aspx
Hope Awakens Bible Study Guides:
https://www.hopeawakens.study/lesson-header;id=2
Glow Tract Video Bible Studies:
http://www.bibleresearch.info/
LINKS FOR BIBLE PROPHECY SEMINARS
Islam and Christianity in Prophecy, The
Third and Final Conflict by Tim Roosenberg (LIVE
NOW):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gHSJB-fuHLU&list=PLWhQIHGTHlkaGg5Cwe3NDzWtFX8vNSpsE
Revelation Now by Pastor Doug Batchelor:
https://www.revelationnow.com/
Unlocking Bible Prophecies by Cami Oetman of
Adventist World Radio:
https://bible.awr.org/en/the-signs/
Hope Awakens by John Bradshaw of IIW:
https://itiswritten.tv/programs/hope-awakens
Prophecies Decoded by Pastor Ron Clouzet:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL1A435C5373550657
