Why are you in despair, O my soul? And why have you become disturbed within me? Hope in God, for I shall yet praise Him, The help of my countenance and my God (Psalms 42:11 NAS95).
There are seasons in
life that prove most difficult. Sometimes you can lose hope if you
only look through mortal eyes. However, it is important to remember,
while your flesh is mortal, your soul is eternal. The psalmist
teaches you and me a very good lesson here. His focus does not remain
on his bad circumstances, but on His God.
Instead of wallowing
in his anguish, he turns his eyes upward. It is best not to decry “Oh
this is the worst day of my life!” Do as the palmist and remember
your blessed position in Christ.
Very often, the
trials you and I face are there to improve our relationship with God.
James says this very thing. Consider it all joy, my brethren, when
you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith
produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, so
that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing (James
1:2-4 NAS95).
The psalmist, like
James, knows he can praise God in every situation because God loves
him. The foundations for this are many, but His love for us is
overarching. In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He
loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins (1
John 4:10 NAS95).
This fact allowed
Paul to say, For I consider that the sufferings of this present
time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be
revealed to us (Romans 8:18 NAS95). We will yet praise Him!
The hope of the
righteous is gladness (Proverbs 10:28a NAS95). God sees you in
your distress, and if you have hope in Him, you will not be
disappointed. Sing praise to the LORD, you His godly ones, And
give thanks to His holy name. For His anger is but for a moment, His
favor is for a lifetime; Weeping may last for the night, But a shout
of joy comes in the morning (Psalms 30:4-5 NAS95).
Comments
Post a Comment