Why are you cast down, O my soul,
and why are you in turmoil within me?
Hope in God; for I shall again praise him,
my salvation 6 and my God.My soul is cast down within me;
Psalm 42:5-6
therefore I remember you
from the land of Jordan and of Hermon,
from Mount Mizar.
This psalm as a whole expresses, “a longing to return to God’s presence in the sanctuary” (ESV Study Note). For whatever reason, the psalmist is distant from the place of worship in Jerusalem and longs to be there. Another snippet from the ESV Study Note says, “Singing this in corporate worship would especially foster a sense of yearning and expectation in the faithful so that they would learn to attend worship looking for God’s presence, to mourn any circumstances that prevent them from attendance, and to count their attendance at worship as a great gift from God (certainly not a burdensome duty!)“.
Far too often we take for granted the assembly of believers in worshipping our Lord. It is either viewed as a burdensome duty as referenced in the study note, or as an optional activity that we partake in as long as we don’t have other plans. How often does our heart mourn when we cannot gather with our church family on Sunday morning? How often are our hearts focused on the true purpose of assembling together? How often do our souls “pant” or “thirst” for the living God?
The assembly of believers is not for our entertainment or our emotional experience, nor is it something that we do to make us “feel better” about ourselves. We gather to worship and praise our Savior. We gather to edify and encourage one another as we sit under the teaching of the Word of God. We are a body – we NEED to gather. It isn’t something we fit in when our schedule allows, nor is it something that takes a back seat to just about anything else that may come up. It is where we are fed and nourished – and reminded of our deepest need – Christ. It is where we are to serve, love, and encourage one another.
The psalmist in his mourning over not being able to worship in the sanctuary causes his soul to be cast down. And where is his hope? In the faith that he will once again praise Him.
If you are a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior and are not yet plugged into a solid Bible-believing church, consider this your encouragement to do so. We cannot thrive as believers when we are not plugged into the corporate body of believers any better than a hand can survive when it is cut off from the body.
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