Send Forth Your Light and Your Truth

Psalm 43 is a short and powerful prayer that moves from injustice and pressure into light, truth, worship, and joy. The singer asks God to judge with righteousness, to rescue him from deceit and oppression, and to lead him back toward the holy mountain and the joy of standing before Him.

At the heart of this song is the plea:

"Send forth Your light and Your truth; let them guide me."

The psalm does not ask only for relief from darkness. It asks for God's light to show the way and God's truth to keep the heart from being led by fear, lies, or confusion.

The prayer then rises into thanksgiving:

"Then I will come to the altar of God, to God, my exceeding joy."

The destination is not merely escape. It is renewed closeness to God, gratitude, music, and a joy deep enough to be sung with the harp.

Psalm 43 is closely connected in spirit to Psalm 42. The soul is again addressed with the searching words: "Why are you bowed down, my soul?" Yet the answer is not despair. The answer is hope: "Hope in God, for I will yet thank Him."