A Prayer for the Valleys

Throughout life, we experience both highs and lows. On the glorious mountain peaks we see clearly and feel joy and hope. In the dark valleys, we feel deep despair, spiritual dryness, and inner turmoil. Psalm 42 is a prayer for the valleys.

Past Joy

In verse 4, the psalmist says, “These things I remember, as I pour out my soul: how I would go with the throng and lead them in procession to the house of God with glad shouts and songs of praise, a multitude keeping festival” (emphasis added).

Notice the past tense. The psalmist is remembering. With fondness he recalls sweet memories of joyful worship in community with God’s people. The scene he describes is festive—a multitude of worshipers marching toward the temple, shouting and singing and celebrating. And the psalmist himself was out in front, leading the way.

That was then. This is now.

Now he laments, “When shall I come and appear before God?” (v. 2). Instead of feasting with others before the Lord, his tears have been his only food (v. 3). Instead of enjoying the company of fellow worshipers, he is surrounded by cynics who taunt, “Where is your God?” (v. 3).

Can you relate? You can recall times in the past when you used to worship with passion and joy. Your prayer and Bible reading used to be rich and vibrant. Fellowship with others was once sweet and satisfying. You had a deep sense of purpose and direction and you were engaged in meaningful ministry to others.

But all of that seems like a faded memory. The past was pleasant. The present is painful. And now, even your recollection of those days seems faded and distant.

Present Reality

The valley between past and future joy feels barren and dry. That is where the psalmist started: “As a deer pants for flowing streams, so pants my soul for you, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God” (Ps. 42:1-2, emphasis added).

When you feel spiritually dry, it can hurt even to recall times of past vibrancy. You may feel shame or regret that you aren’t where you want to be. But remembering the past is a good place to start. The psalmist says, “My soul is cast down within me; therefore I remember you from the land of Jordan and of Hermon, from Mount Mizar” (v. 5).

The geographic references are unfamiliar to us, but they are worth noting. The three locations mentioned are not three different places, but a poetic way of zooming in on the map to the psalmist’s physical location. The psalmist was in the land of Jordan. More specifically, he was in the Hermon mountain range, on Mount Mizar, to be exact.

Why does that matter? Because he longed to be at Mount Zion, where God’s temple was, to “appear before God” (v. 3). But even though he was physically and spiritually far from that place, even though his soul was cast down and in turmoil, he began right where he was. He began to intentionally remember sweet times of worship and specific truth about God. “By day the Lord commands his steadfast love, and at night his song is with me, a prayer to the God of my life” (v. 8).

Future Hope

No matter the gap between where you are and where you wish you were, the next step is always the one right in front of you. And motivation to take that step comes from looking forward with faith in God’s promises. One of the striking features of Psalm 42 is the way that the psalmist addresses his own soul (v. 5).

He asks his soul questions: “Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me?”

He exhorts his own soul: “Hope in God!”

And he gives his soul reasons: “For I shall again praise him, my salvation and my God.”

Notice how the psalmist directs his soul toward future hope. “I shall again praise him.” What do you do when you are in a spiritual valley? Call to mind the goodness of God you have experienced in the past and look forward with confidence that God will restore that joy again.

But what if that’s what you’ve been doing and nothing has changed yet? The fact that the same soul speech is repeated twice (in verses 5 and 11) is a reminder to persist. After asking, “Why are you cast down, O my soul?” in verse 5, the psalmist then observes matter of factly, “My soul is cast down within me” (v. 5). No change yet.

In fact, when we get to the end in verse 11, there is still no observable change. Just the same internal dialogue. “Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation and my God.”

When you are in the valley, keep remembering and keep expecting. Keep reminding yourself to hope in God. You will again praise him. Hope in God.

The Fight of FaithRyan ChasePsalms