Discussion Topic
Why are you cast down, oh my soul?
Posted on 09/26/09, 03:32 pm
Why are you cast down, oh my soul?
Psalm 42
As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God. My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God: when shall I come and appear before God? My tears have been my meat day and night, while they continually say unto me, Where is thy God? When I remember these things, I pour out my soul in me: for I had gone with the multitude, I went with them to the house of God, with the voice of joy and praise, with a multitude that kept holyday. Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted in me? hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him for the help of his countenance. O my God, my soul is cast down within me: therefore will I remember thee from the land of Jordan, and of the Hermonites, from the hill Mizar.
Deep calleth unto deep at the noise of thy waterspouts: all thy waves and thy billows are gone over me. Yet the LORD will command his lovingkindness in the day time, and in the night his song shall be with me, and my prayer unto the God of my life. I will say unto God my rock, Why hast thou forgotten me? why go I mourning because of the oppression of the enemy? As with a sword in my bones, mine enemies reproach me; while they say daily unto me, Where is thy God? 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.
Many things in our lives can cause our souls to be cast down. Sickness whether physical or emotional can bring us low. Attacks from cowardice others who lie in wait for when we are already down and weak can add to our feelings of being cast down. Taunts from these enemies of God and therefore enemies of us (who are following Him) can add to our misery.
We can find ourselves in such a dark place that we start saying to God, I have praised You and asking God the question, so why have You forgotten me? We can question Him, how it isn't helping to keep the taunts from happening when we are crying and mourning all the time, so much so that we can't eat or sleep. Things can look so bleak that we just don't see any way out from our troubles and those who are ever present to attack us.
It is at these times we must remind ourselves of the times the God has come to our aid and brought us peace and strength in the midst of troubled times. Remembering that He doesn't always remove the situations in our lives but will change us in the midst of them.
So what is the best and proper response when we find ourselves in such bad places? We thirst for Him all the more, like a deer who has searched for water for days and is almost dying from dehydration. We continue to praise and worship Him for no matter where we are He is deserving of your praise and worship. We also cast all our hope on Him; not necessarily hope that He will change our circumstances or shut the mouths of those who taunt us or attack us, but hope that no matter what we are facing that we have that assurance that we do belong to Him and that one day we will forever be blissfully in His presence throughout eternity!
You may say, that is easy for you to say because I see you as someone who is strong. Many have made this assumption and been totally wrong. I have no strength of my own. I am physically so messed up that I can't believe how I am still alive! My spirit gets so down within me at times because of pain that I understand this Psalm from firsthand experience.
When things on this earth become so overwhelming to me and those who want to destroy me wait till i am at my lowest to heap their attempts at destruction on me, I remember Who I belong to and I focus on that time when He will call my name and I will be with Him without all the pain from this life. In the meantime, I will continue to want to be closer to Him (thirst for Him) while I am on this side of heaven; I will continue to praise and worship Him for even if He never does another thing 'for' me He has already done far more for me than I deserve; and I will look up knowing this earth is not my real home but that heaven is my real home and one day I will be there with the One I love more than life.
I am currently going through such a time and I write this message through my tears and frustration with the circumstances of my life that are bringing me much physical pain without an end to it in sight. This message may therefore be a little self indulgent so I ask your forgiveness in that, however, maybe some of you are also experiencing overwhelming circumstances currently. If you know Him and He knows you then you can take much away from this message. If you don't have that personal relationship with Him, then you need to know He stands waiting for you, longing with His heart of love for you to want to enter into that relationship with Him.
If you don't know Him and want individual counsel about how to establish that personal relationship with Him, contact me in a private message and I would be more than happy to guide you to becoming one of His.
Psalm 42
As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God. My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God: when shall I come and appear before God? My tears have been my meat day and night, while they continually say unto me, Where is thy God? When I remember these things, I pour out my soul in me: for I had gone with the multitude, I went with them to the house of God, with the voice of joy and praise, with a multitude that kept holyday. Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted in me? hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him for the help of his countenance. O my God, my soul is cast down within me: therefore will I remember thee from the land of Jordan, and of the Hermonites, from the hill Mizar.
Deep calleth unto deep at the noise of thy waterspouts: all thy waves and thy billows are gone over me. Yet the LORD will command his lovingkindness in the day time, and in the night his song shall be with me, and my prayer unto the God of my life. I will say unto God my rock, Why hast thou forgotten me? why go I mourning because of the oppression of the enemy? As with a sword in my bones, mine enemies reproach me; while they say daily unto me, Where is thy God? 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.
Many things in our lives can cause our souls to be cast down. Sickness whether physical or emotional can bring us low. Attacks from cowardice others who lie in wait for when we are already down and weak can add to our feelings of being cast down. Taunts from these enemies of God and therefore enemies of us (who are following Him) can add to our misery.
We can find ourselves in such a dark place that we start saying to God, I have praised You and asking God the question, so why have You forgotten me? We can question Him, how it isn't helping to keep the taunts from happening when we are crying and mourning all the time, so much so that we can't eat or sleep. Things can look so bleak that we just don't see any way out from our troubles and those who are ever present to attack us.
It is at these times we must remind ourselves of the times the God has come to our aid and brought us peace and strength in the midst of troubled times. Remembering that He doesn't always remove the situations in our lives but will change us in the midst of them.
So what is the best and proper response when we find ourselves in such bad places? We thirst for Him all the more, like a deer who has searched for water for days and is almost dying from dehydration. We continue to praise and worship Him for no matter where we are He is deserving of your praise and worship. We also cast all our hope on Him; not necessarily hope that He will change our circumstances or shut the mouths of those who taunt us or attack us, but hope that no matter what we are facing that we have that assurance that we do belong to Him and that one day we will forever be blissfully in His presence throughout eternity!
You may say, that is easy for you to say because I see you as someone who is strong. Many have made this assumption and been totally wrong. I have no strength of my own. I am physically so messed up that I can't believe how I am still alive! My spirit gets so down within me at times because of pain that I understand this Psalm from firsthand experience.
When things on this earth become so overwhelming to me and those who want to destroy me wait till i am at my lowest to heap their attempts at destruction on me, I remember Who I belong to and I focus on that time when He will call my name and I will be with Him without all the pain from this life. In the meantime, I will continue to want to be closer to Him (thirst for Him) while I am on this side of heaven; I will continue to praise and worship Him for even if He never does another thing 'for' me He has already done far more for me than I deserve; and I will look up knowing this earth is not my real home but that heaven is my real home and one day I will be there with the One I love more than life.
I am currently going through such a time and I write this message through my tears and frustration with the circumstances of my life that are bringing me much physical pain without an end to it in sight. This message may therefore be a little self indulgent so I ask your forgiveness in that, however, maybe some of you are also experiencing overwhelming circumstances currently. If you know Him and He knows you then you can take much away from this message. If you don't have that personal relationship with Him, then you need to know He stands waiting for you, longing with His heart of love for you to want to enter into that relationship with Him.
If you don't know Him and want individual counsel about how to establish that personal relationship with Him, contact me in a private message and I would be more than happy to guide you to becoming one of His.
Welcome
