The Downcast Soul’s Catechism – Psalm 42:1-11
July 19, 2020Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Speaker: Peter Stonecipher
In some comments on Psalm 42 (especially verses 5 and 11), Pastor Martyn Lloyd-Jones says, “Have you realized that most of your unhappiness in life is due to the fact that you are listening to yourself instead of talking to yourself?…The main art in the matter of spiritual living is to know how to handle yourself. You have to take yourself in hand, you have to address yourself, preach to yourself, question yourself.”
Throughout church history, many Christians have practiced this art of “talking to yourself” by memorizing a series of questions and responses (called catechisms) in order to have basic, biblical answers close at hand when the chaotic events of life raised questions about their faith. In Psalm 42, the author is facing not only the chaotic events of life, but turmoil within his own soul. How does he respond? By “talking to himself” with a simple question and response which redirects his focus from the chaos of his situation and onto the hope he has in God.