#15 2016 Devotional Psalm 42:8. The purpose of these devotionals is to draw closer to God by memorizing selected passages of Scripture. Further, to view the passage in context and grow spiritually by applying His Word to our daily living with family, friends and others. All passages are taken from the NIV.
Ps. 42:8
By day the Lord directs his love,
at night his song is with me—
a prayer to the God of my life.
Psalm 42 is the first of Book II of the Psalms. Psalm 42and 43 go together and is found that way in some translations. Ps. 42-45 form a unit and 42-43 seem to bracket Book II with Ps. 69-72. but we look only at Ps. 42 and only at verse 8. Before we do that we need to look at Ps. 42 as a whole. The Ps. is a liturgical song (see title) and a prayer for deliverance and restoration as well as praise, it is in the first person. It appears to be a leader, the King perhaps, pleading for the community that feels abandoned physically and spiritually. The Psalm divides at verses 6 and 7. Verses 1-6 the Psalmist feels abandonment and longs for God’s presence.
Verses 7- 11 the Psalmist expresses his complete helplessness and is overwhelmed, verse 7, but verse 8 expresses his faith in God. The rest of the Psalm is an argument with himself and he comes down on the side of faith he has already expressed:” Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God”.
Following verse 7 verse 8 is a wonderful confession of faith. The psalmist acknowledges God’s love for him. We all must practice faith in what every situation we find ourselves whether in want, danger, or overwhelmed with the task. Faith develops around God’s love for us his followers. His love dictates His care and His pouring out of the Holy Spirit in obvious ways when we need it while serving him. “at night his song is with me” we fall asleep pondering God’s love for His people and awake with His love song on our lips (Jn. 3:16-18). Our Nigerian Christian friends start every day thanking God for waking up in this life. We all need to again and again express our hope in Jesus in this life. Verse 8 is not only a call to develop our faith and to hold onto our hope we have now but it is “a prayer to the God of my life”. As followers of Jesus our lives are completely wrapped up in God who sustains us, forgives us, saves us and gives us life forever with Him. Is Jesus the God of your life? Praise be to Him!
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