Psalm Photos - 42 - The Question
I have to admit that my first thought when I saw I was reading this Psalm was 42 - from Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy for what I thought was the answer to Life the Universe, and Everything. However, as I googled that, I was reminded that in the book, 42 was the answer to “The Ultimate Question of Life, the Universe, and Everything.” But the question is unknown. Without going down that rabbit hole too much (especially without a towel), I further wrestled with this Psalm as the song “As the Deer” came to mind for me…
As the deer panteth for the water So my soul longeth after you You alone are my heart's desire And I long to worship thee
You alone are my strength, my shield To you alone may my spirit yield You alone are my heart's desire And I long to worship thee
You're my friend and you are my brother Even though you are a king I love you more than any other So much more than anything
You alone are my strength, my shield To you alone may my spirit yield You alone are my heart's desire And I long to worship you
I want you more than gold or silver, only you can satisfy. You alone are the real joygiver and the apple of my eye.
You alone are my strength, my shield To you alone may my spirit yield You alone are my heart's desire And I long to worship you
This song has spoken deeply to me throughout my life of faith, but after reading this Psalm today, it feels like a very different tone from the Psalm itself…I wrestled with what question the writer of the Psalm was trying to answer with these words and to me it feels much closer to trying to get to the Ultimate Question as opposed to lyrics that seem to focus more on a positive rather than a challenging time in a person’s life. The question is asked several times by others in the Psalm - “Where is your God?” To me, that’s the ultimate question whose answer is not 42, but instead the answer is in the person of Jesus who meets us through the times that this Psalm and so many others speak to. And in that, we can echo the words of the last verse - “Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my help and my God.”