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INTRODUCTION: Someone has said that depression strikes about 10 million Americans within any six-month
period. Christians are not excluded from depression. The Psalmist was in a state of depression as he cried out,
“Why art thou cast down, oh my soul?” Someone has said, “The cure for depression is neither to look inward to
our source of grief, nor back to our past, nor outward to our problems, but to look upward to the living God.”
We do not know the person who wrote Psalms 42 and 43. We do know that he was discouraged and depressed.
Within the 16 verses of these two Psalms, the writer asked “why” 10 times. God was silent to him. Maybe you
feel alone and abandoned. Maybe you are asking questions like the Psalmist, “Why hast thou forgotten me?” or
“Why doest thou cast me off?”
I. THIRSTY SOUL
A. THIRSTY FOR THE PERSON OF GOD. (v. 1-2a)
The Psalmist was thirsty for God like a deer thirsting for water during a time of drought. We can have times of
spiritual dryness in our lives. A thirst for God is a sign of spiritual life.
B. HOPE IN GOD.
In the midst of his depression, the psalmist still had hope. Three times the psalmist wrote of his hope in God
(42:5, 11 & 43:5). His hope rested upon the control, care, and character of God.
1. Control of God. (v. 7)
2. Care of God. (v. 8) “His loving-kindness”
3. Character of God. (v. 9) “I will say unto God, my rock.”
Moses: “He is the Rock, his work is perfect: for all his ways are judgment: a God of truth and without iniquity,
just and right is he.” (Deut. 32:4)
David: “He only is my rock and my salvation: he is my defense; I shall not be moved. In God is my salvation
and my glory: the rock of my strength, and my refuge, is in God.” (Ps. 62:6-7)