The five Psalms we read today were written for the Sons of Korah, a clan from the tribe of Levi who descended from Korah, the nephew of Moses. They were guards at the door of the tabernacle, and later the temple, so they were first hand witnesses to Israel’s worship — and they had lots of time to think about God.

These Psalms were written by people who lived to serve God at the temple.

Psalm 42

I once heard a man share about a hike he took alone in the forest. There was a great crashing sound across a stream from where he stood and a buck burst out of the thicket. It had been running to get away from a hunter and it stopped short as it came face to face with the man. It stared desperately at him for a moment, then it put its head down and drank in big, long gulps of water. The deer’s thirst was greater than the fear in its heart.

The man who wrote Psalm 42 was as thirsty for God’s presence as that deer was for water. For some reason he was separated from worship at the temple and he wanted to get back there. He wanted to connect with God; his heart was filled with longing.

He missed going to worship.

The problem with depending upon rituals and services to help us connect to God is that while it’s wonderful to go to church and be led in worship, there are times we can’t go there. What are we left with then?

The Psalmist felt sad and upset when he couldn’t go to the temple, but he now had the opportunity to explore his relationship with God without being led by others.

“Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God.” Psalm 42:5

Hungering and Thirsting for God

This Psalm reminds us that when our souls are hungry and thirsty, they are actually hungering and thirsting for God himself, not rituals or practices. We may try all kinds of lesser things to fill our emptiness, but anything less than God is a temporary and ultimately unsatisfying substitute. The restlessness we feel deep within is our soul crying out for intimacy with God.

“Deep calls to deep in the roar of your waterfalls; all your waves and breakers have swept over me. By day the Lord directs his love, at night his song is with me – a prayer to the God of my life.” Psalm 42:7-8

God uses waterfalls of anxiety and waves of longing that sweep over us to help us see how desperately we need him. If we let those waves carry us toward him, we will find his loving presence fills the turmoil.

Intimacy with God often begins with a question, a question that may even sound like an accusation:

“I say to God my Rock, ‘Why have you forgotten me? Why must I go about mourning, oppressed by the enemy? My bones suffer mortal agony as my foes taunt me, saying to me all day long, ‘Where is your God?’” Psalm 42:9-10

“Where is your God?” This is the question we ask ourselves when our souls are downcast. The answer is that God is in the waves breaking over us. He is coming to satisfy our hunger and thirst.

“Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God.” Psalm 42:11

God has the answers. When the waves of longing, anxiety, and sorrow wash us onto his shore we find peace, satisfaction, and hope. But we have to choose him and drink deeply of his presence.

Psalm 44

This is a Psalm of a suffering community in deep lament. In this case they were defeated by an enemy and they wanted God to restore them again, as he had done in the past. Psalms of lament often have these five characteristics:

• The lament is addressed to God because the people remember how he helped them before: “We have heard it with our ears, O God; our ancestors have told us what you did in their days, in days long ago.” Psalm 44:1-3

• The people complain that God is not doing what he has done before: “But now you have rejected and humbled us; you no longer go out with our armies.” Psalm 44:9-12

• The community expresses their faith in God to help them again if he chooses: “You are my King and my God, who decrees victories for Jacob. Through you we push back our enemies; through your name we trample our foes.” Psalm 44:4-8

• They pray to God to come and help them: “Awake, Lord! Why do you sleep? Rouse yourself! Do not reject us forever.” Psalm 44:23

• The people promise to give God the glory when he answers their prayers: “In God we make our boast all day long, and we will praise your name forever.” Psalm 44:8

God welcomes prayers of lament from his people. Honest prayers of lament help them move from defeat to victory. It’s always good to be real with God, even when we are fearful or disappointed. He works through our laments with us and guide us to faith again.

Psalm 45

This wedding song celebrates the marriage of the king to his foreign bride. The king is praised for his majesty and power and the bride is encouraged to forget her people and her father’s house because her groom is in love with her. Her beauty enthralls him. She will be happy in her marriage and their union will strengthen the legacy of the king as they start a family.

“Your sons will take the place of your fathers; you will make them princes throughout the land. I will perpetuate your memory through all generations; therefore the nations will praise you for ever and ever.” Psalm 45:17

Both the bride and the groom will be remembered for the family they build together.

Psalm 46

Psalm 46 is a shout of praise to God, probably written following a great military victory. Unlike the lament in Psalm 44, this Psalm is full of joy and confidence in the Lord, and It’s a great one to read aloud.

“God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.” Psalm 46:1

“Come and see what the Lord has done, the desolations he has brought on the earth. He makes wars to cease to the ends of the earth. He breaks the bow and shatters the spear; he burns the shields with fire.” Psalm 46:8-9

Only God can end all war — throughout the earth. Only he has the power to defeat every earthly and spiritual power that threatens the people of the world.

Someday wars will cease and everyone on earth will stand still and hear what God says to them. Then they will fall to their knees and exalt him as Lord of Lords.

“He says, ‘Be still and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.’” Psalm 46:10

But we don’t have to wait for someday. This command to the nations – to be still and know that God is God – is also an invitation to us as individuals.

Take the same words – “Be still and know that I am God” – and reduce them from a shout to a whisper, then you will hear the invitation. You’ll discover that God who rules over nations is also your loving Father, who wants to help you with any battle you face.

Then you will be able to say with the Psalmist, “Come and see what the Lord has done.”