The Lonely Prophet

Psalm 43

1O God, take up my cause!

Defend me against these ungodly people.

Rescue me from these unjust liars.

2For you are God, my only safe haven.

Why have you tossed me aside?

Why must I wander around in darkness,

oppressed by my enemies?

3Send out your light and your truth;

let them guide me.

Let them lead me to your holy mountain,

to the place where you live.

4There I will go to the altar of God,

to God—the source of all my joy.

I will praise you with my harp,

O God, my God!

5Why am I discouraged?

Why so sad?

I will put my hope in God!

I will praise him again—

my Savior and my God!

Perhaps this psalm was on Elijah’s heart as he was climbing Mount Carmel to challenge the prophets of Baal (1 Kings 18–19). The surrounding nations honored Baal as the mighty sky god, who crashed the thunder and sent rain, and now Israel, led by the weak-willed King Ahab and his idolatrous queen, Jezebel, had plunged headlong into the worship of Baal as well.

“O God, take up my cause!” you can almost hear Elijah praying as he anticipated his match with the Baal priests. No doubt he felt very alone in his efforts to call the sinful Israelites back to their God, back to a life of holiness and faithfulness to the Lord.

And God did take up Elijah’s cause by sending fire to consume his sacrifice. But even that victory didn’t eliminate Elijah’s loneliness. A chapter later we find him at Mount Sinai with a downcast soul. Yes, depression dies hard, but there is hope. The Lord assures Elijah that there are seven thousand others who have remained faithful to him, and he gives Elijah instructions to replace the wicked King Ahab.

We, too, serve such a God, so even in our darkest times we can echo the psalmist’s refrain: “I will praise him again—my Savior and my God!”

Oh, send thy light to guide my feet,

And bid thy truth appear;

Conduct me to thy holy hill

To taste thy mercies there.

C. D. BARLOW

Bible Networking

To read more about rejoicing in the Lord (verse 4), turn to Psalm 71:23; Isaiah 61:10; Habakkuk 3:17-18; and Romans 5:11.

Notable Quotable

“What oxygen is to the lungs, such is hope for the meaning of life.”

EMIL BRÜNNER