For Kids · 4 min with a grown-up
Psalm 42 is a tender song for sad days. The singer feels far away from God and misses Him - the way a thirsty deer misses cool water.
Today's Story
Picture a deer in the forest on a hot day. Its mouth is dry. It is so thirsty. It runs and runs, looking for a cool, bubbling stream to drink from. Nothing else will do.
The person singing this song felt just like that deer. Only he wasn't thirsty for water - he was thirsty for God. “My whole heart longs for You, O God,” he sang. “I want to be near You the way a deer wants water.”
He was feeling sad and far away. He missed singing songs about God with his friends. Some days the sad feelings rolled over him like big waves at the beach.
So do you know what he did? He talked to his own heart, gently, like a friend. “Why are you so sad, my heart? Why are you upset inside me? Put your hope in God!”
He reminded himself that the sad day would not last forever. God was still good. God still loved him. And one day soon he would be singing happy thank-you songs again. “I will keep praising Him,” he said, “my Savior and my God.”
A Big Word
Memory Verse
Talk About It
- When was the last time you felt really sad? What happened?
- The singer talked to his own heart and said, “Put your hope in God.” What is a true thing you can tell yourself when you feel sad?
- The deer was thirsty for water. What do you think it means to be thirsty for God?