Psalm 42:6 O my God, my soul is cast down within me: therefore, will I remember thee from the land of Jordan, and of the Hermonites, from the hill Mizar.
Have you ever seen a person in the throes of despair? His back is slumped. His shoulders are heavy. His eyes seem to be focused on a distant object in another world. His head is held up only by his hands which seem to be powerless. Truly this is the picture of a person who is cast down. Yet should this ever be the picture of a believer?
In our focal verse, the Psalmist speaks of a soul of a believer that is like the one described above. It seems oxymoronic; a believer, cast down. Yet this is the state that describes many a believer today.
The Psalmist could not rationalize why his soul would be cast down since he was a child of God. He turned to God and forced himself to remember times three times when God's power was clearly manifested in his life. He identified them for us by naming the places. He lists the land of Jordan, the land of the Hermonites and the hill Mizar.
These places are where David experienced God's power, protection, and provision. These were the times where David experienced God's riches, rewards, and righteousness. These were situations where David experienced God's grace, goodness, and gifts.
Is your soul cast down? Why?