Psalm 42:11

Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Saviour and my God ~ Psalm 42:11


My soul is not downcast today, but I have certainly gone through times when my soul was down in the pits of the grave, or it felt like it. When everything crashes in around you, and all is dark and dreary, it seems as though the world could come to an end, and it would not matter. It seems that you could come to your end, and no one would care. That, of course, is never true, for every one of us touches at least one other life, but we feel that way. The winter of the soul is a lonely place, a barren place, a dry place. The psalmist here is writing about his feelings and expressing them in a way we can relate to. We all know this place. His thoughts turn quickly, perhaps I think more quickly than my own do, and take an upward turn. Instead of looking horizontally he turns his eyes upward, vertically. He looks up, way up. He sees beyond today to where he will be. He looks to God to give him strength to overcome, and he begins to praise God even when he is still in the pit. Praise is the enemy of Satan. When we begin to praise the Lord, Satan flees. He may try to fight our spirit, our soul and keep it downcast, but he is a loser! He lost his fight at the cross of Jesus, so my friend, if you are where this psalmist is or was, delight yourself in the Lord God. Begin to praise Him, begin to call out his name which is above every name. Yesterday I just sat for ten minutes or so looking at a picture I have – the one of Jesus when he was twelve in the temple with the leaders, and I just began to think of all the names for Jesus – Alpha and Omega, Rose of Sharon, Great High Priest, Friend, Justice, Lion of Judah, etc. You will see that your heart and soul will rise up in faith and trust when you call out in hope!

Pastor Julia

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