As a deer longs for flowing streams, so my soul longs for you, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When shall I come and behold the face of God? My tears have been my food day and night, while people say to me continually, “Where is your God?” These things I remember, as I pour out my soul; how I went with the crowd of worshipers and led them in procession to the house of God, with glad shouts and songs of thanksgiving, a multitude keeping festival. Why are you cast down, O my soul and why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God; for I shall praise him, my help and my God. (Psalm 42:1-6, NRSV)
One week ago, I started writing a devotional each morning to help me (and you) prepare our minds and hearts for the many ways that Jesus comes to us, not just at Christmas, but throughout the year. I appreciate those of you who have taken time to reach out to me about how God has been using these devotionals in your life. One person confessed that he is struggling during this holiday season. He’s a pastor and the pandemic has been especially hard on his church. None of the metrics that are typically used to determine fruitfulness are measurable right now in his context: attendance is down, giving is down, serving is down, and nothing new that he’s tried seems to be gaining any traction. It’s been hard for him to see God at work.
In today’s reading, the psalmist has some of the same concerns. Wondering where God is, the psalmist recalls days when she or he walked among crowds of people, leading them in worship, singing songs of praise and giving thanks. For one reason or another, that is no longer the case.
I appreciate the psalmist’s honesty, just as I appreciate the honesty of my clergy colleague who reached out to me. Life can be tough, not just for psalmists and preachers, but for devotional readers like you. Many of us struggle, especially during the holidays, and it’s important to acknowledge those feelings.
But what I really appreciate about the psalmist is not just the honesty but the outlook. The psalmist may be low today but essentially says, “I’ll be up again tomorrow. I’ll put my hope in God. I will long for God like a deer pants for water. I will claim the unfailing love of God. I will find the help I need to get through this season of life.”
Christmas may not be “the most wonderful time of the year” for some reading this devotional. My prayer is that God will grant us the grace to acknowledge such feelings; as a mentor of mine says, “You have to feel to heal.” But I pray that God will also grant us the grace to profess the hope of this season, that Jesus, Immanuel, has come. God is with us. God loves us. God has come to help us.
Be blessed this Monday.
