i thought about just putting this verse up on facebook as per usual, but when i realised how many thoughts it stirred up within me, i thought i'd better blog about it :).
within the span of 10 verses (psalm 42.5-43.5), this verse is repeated 3 times, which leads me to several thoughts.
as humans, we tend to repeat words and phrases that we want to remember, things that we need to be reminded of so that they "sink in". it might be a note on the mirror telling us that we're beautiful (because we all are) or smart or strong even though we don't often {feel} like it. that's the same thing david is doing here, reminding himself that his hope is in God, the giver of life and salvation and NOT in his circumstances that constantly change. because you see, although david was king over israel and a man after God's own heart (acts 13.22), he was human and struggled with life just as we do with enemies chasing him, battles, fears, failures, etc., life events that seem to contradict this truth. so he put it on repeat and made it a mantra of sorts. i think we'd do well to do the same:
Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation and my God.
the other thought is that we {can't} trust our feelings, as they are not often indicators of the truth. there are many times when i don't feel like praising God, and i certainly don't always feel hopeful. my feelings tell me that life just plain sucks sometimes, that it's unfair, that things aren't going to get better, that if God really loved me, he wouldn't have taken levi from us...
...but the truth is much different than my feelings. what i {know} is that neither God nor his Word ever fail me. EVER. i know that God does love me. he does keep his promises. he does know the pain i'm going through because he gave up his only son for me (!!!), and there is {life}, eternal life in heaven with him and my little levi (“This is how much God loved the world: He gave his Son, his one and only Son. And this is why: so that no one need be destroyed; by believing in him, anyone can have a whole and lasting life. God didn’t go to all the trouble of sending his Son merely to point an accusing finger, telling the world how bad it was. He came to help, to put the world right again." john 3.16-17, the message)
you and i, just like king david, must constantly remind ourselves of these truths because life is full of trials and hardships and people who want to bring us down with their negativity or even well-meant words that manage to hurt us. BUT there is hope. there is healing. and there is {life} in Jesus.
Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation and my God.
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