⁴ Then I will go to the altar of God, to God my exceeding joy; and upon the lyre I shall praise You, O God, my God. ⁵ Why are you in despair, O my soul? And why are you disturbed within me? Hope in God, for I shall again praise Him, the help of my countenance and my God. (Psalm 43:4–5)

Carrying on from Psalm 42, the thirsty soul cries out to God from a spiritually depressed state: “Why are you in despair, O my soul?” – he writes three times in these two psalms (42:5, 11; 43:5). The similar content, wording and style, along with the repeated refrain, lead most commentators to see in these two psalms one original poem. We are unable to identify the specific author, though Psalm 42 is connected to the choir associated with the “sons of Korah” as indicated in the prescript.

Does this not reflect the sometime experience of the conscientious believer during certain spiritual dry spells in life? The inner self-talk often betrays unbelief in the superficial believer, but here it reveals the thoughts of a godly person who wrestles honestly with his own inner struggles of trusting in the Lord. We are reminded of the father of the demon-possessed son. Jesus had responded to the crowd, “O unbelieving generation …” Then He said to the father, “All things are possible to him who believes.” The man honestly confessed, “I do believe; help my unbelief.” Jesus, seeing the man’s integrity and honest struggle with faith (contrary to the scribes and the crowd in general), went on to heal the son (Mark 9:19-24).

This man’s struggle reflected the struggle of Psalms 42 and 43. A faithful man believes but struggles with his own unbelief—an admitted oddity or self-contradiction, but nonetheless a reality in the genuine believer’s life. In the midst of spiritual depression, the genuine believer counsels himself with the belief that at the end of the day, God is “my exceeding joy.” He may not always be experiencing God in that way, but he knows that is the attraction, the draw, the hope that keeps him from giving up in his despair. This is why Paul could say, “We have this treasure in earthen vessels … we are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not despairing …” (2 Cor 4:7–8).

“For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison…” (2 Cor 4:17). That glory is to rest in God who is “my exceeding joy.” All sorrow, struggle, suffering and pain are eclipsed by the anticipation of exceeding and everlasting joy. A joy that cannot fade away. A joy that we can begin to experience, even in the midst of our trials now.

Lord, in my struggles, I want to believe that You are “my exceeding joy.” Sometimes I find that difficult, but I resolve to keep trusting in You.