Psalm 42:5&11
Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me? hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God.
There are days when it seems that everything has gone wrong. Discouragement settles in, and we may even have a pity party. It does appear that the Psalmist is feeling sorry for himself and wonders why God appears to be far away. Human emotions are subject to feelings of abandonment and loss. We all, no doubt, have been where David has been. His life was being threatened, and he was on the run. Saul was in pursuit, his best friend Jonathan was doing what he could, but he was also at the mercy of his father. During this time in David’s life, he was seeking the presence of God. His desire was to dwell in His temple and feel His presence. On purpose, David chose to praise and worship God even when he did not feel like it. His hope was grounded in knowing that God was in control. Praising God is the best way to lift yourself out of discouragement or when depression starts to settle in. When our prayers hit the ceiling and seem to go nowhere, we can praise our way through to God. He delights in the praise of his people. Our hope in God is found when we look to Him, even when we are cast down and everything looks hopeless. Tears of sorrow can be turned into smiles of delight when we choose to praise Him, regardless of our circumstances.
Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me? hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God.
There are days when it seems that everything has gone wrong. Discouragement settles in, and we may even have a pity party. It does appear that the Psalmist is feeling sorry for himself and wonders why God appears to be far away. Human emotions are subject to feelings of abandonment and loss. We all, no doubt, have been where David has been. His life was being threatened, and he was on the run. Saul was in pursuit, his best friend Jonathan was doing what he could, but he was also at the mercy of his father. During this time in David’s life, he was seeking the presence of God. His desire was to dwell in His temple and feel His presence. On purpose, David chose to praise and worship God even when he did not feel like it. His hope was grounded in knowing that God was in control. Praising God is the best way to lift yourself out of discouragement or when depression starts to settle in. When our prayers hit the ceiling and seem to go nowhere, we can praise our way through to God. He delights in the praise of his people. Our hope in God is found when we look to Him, even when we are cast down and everything looks hopeless. Tears of sorrow can be turned into smiles of delight when we choose to praise Him, regardless of our circumstances.
No comments:
Post a Comment