Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God. Psalm 42: 5
Have you ever been so downcast that you had a talk with your own soul? I think we all have from time to time. Sometimes even when we know we have so much to be grateful for, we can become so overwhelmed with the cares of life that our minds and hearts feel heavy with despair. We know from His Word that He never forgets His children, but sometimes in our darkest times, we feel alone and forgotten.
Hopefully, in such times, we will remember that we can go before our God and pour our hearts out to Him. He knows our thoughts and feelings already, and He longs for us to come near to Him with our concerns. He desires that we let Him remind us that all is not hopeless, that we are not alone, and that He is with us. He wants us to remember just how much He loves us, how much He longs to comfort us, and how He promises to keep us in His loving care no matter what happens around us.
Haven’t we learned that the more we focus on the pain and difficult memories, the more despair we feel? If only we could set our hearts on His goodness and faithfulness, the more peace and contentment we could have. If only we could believe Him and His promises to us.
One of the most meaningful Bible Studies I have done was Believing God by Beth Moore. In this particular study, Beth encouraged us with the truth that though we may have believed IN God for many years, we believe Him for very little. We often find it difficult to really believe what He has said to us through His Word and His promises. She challenged us to see how much more God can be than what we have acknowledged and experienced. We even had a Five Statement Pledge of Faith which we were asked to memorize, and it has come to mind many times through the years since this study to remind me to trust in Him.
1. God is who He says He is
2. God can do what He says He can do.
3. I am who God says I am.
4. I can do all things through Christ.
5. God’s Word is alive and active in me.
Powerful words to plant in our minds and hearts, aren’t they? Memorize them and let’s live as if we believe them!
We can believe! Let’s look for Him all around us – in small and magnificent ways. He will reveal His presence and His truths to us in a very personal way. Believe in Him – as the God we always wanted to believe He is. May we “put our hope in Him and forever praise Him as our Savior and our God.”
Prayer
Our God of hope, we thank you for the confidence we have in coming to you with our concerns. Thank you for all the ways you make yourself known to us. We ask that your Spirit in us help our hearts to grow in faith and belief in you. We give you all honor and praise. Amen
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