Far Away from Home
Psalm 42:5 I remember you from the land of Jordan and of Hermon.
Reading: Psalm 42:6-11
Being away from home can be exciting, but it can also be depressing. It all depends on the circumstances. You may be off on a Caribbean cruise, eager to take in the sights and enjoy the sun. Or you may be away from your family on a work assignment for four weeks, and you are counting down the days until you can return.
The latter situation fits more closely with what is happening in Psalm 42. Inspired by the Holy Spirit, the sons of Korah write this psalm. They were Levites who served as musicians (1 Chron. 6:31–33) and gatekeepers (1 Chron. 26:19) in the temple. Simply put, the house of the Lord was the hub of their life.
Yet for some reason one of these sons of Korah finds himself up in the north, more than 200 kilometers away from Jerusalem. He is outside of the Promised Land and in the land of Jordan instead. We don’t know why he is there, but clearly he would rather be back in Jerusalem.
Now, from a scenic point of view the land of Hermon is beautiful. Mt. Hermon is a triple-peaked mountain that soars almost 3000m into the sky and for most of the year it is snow-capped. Impressive! 
The shutterbugs among us would fill up their memory cards quickly. Yet even the most beautiful place in the world can be undesirable if you are far away from the ones you love most, and in this case away from the most Beloved One: the Lord who is our salvation and our God (v. 11).
Yet there is more to this struggle than just feeling homesick. There are also mockers who keep taunting, “Where is your God? Why doesn’t he help you? Has he forgotten about you?” (v. 10) At one point this son of Korah even asks God this question, “Why have you forgotten me?” Such doubts drag us down. Yes, even the souls of Christians may become downcast (v. 5).
When we are down, though, the Rock of our Salvation picks us up with something that is certain: his steadfast love (v. 8). Whether it is night or day and whatever the mockers may say, one thing does not change: God’s love for us in Christ. In fact, nothing in all creation will be able “to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Rom. 8:39).