Verse of the Day 7/24

Verse of the Day 7/24

Psalm 42:11

English Standard Version

11 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 day I quoted from Psalm 6 where David confessed that he was "languishing" and asked for God to be gracious to him.  David had his share of ups and downs, his share of trials and attacks from outside and from within.  Through it all he learned to trust in God.  He was not afraid to share what was on his heart, the raw emotions.  Today's psalm begins by speaking of the "deer that pants for water.  It needs water daily to survive, it can't go for days, like a camel, without it.  David needed the Lord's presence in all of his day, in all of his situations.

We too may go through times when we are languishing, trying to keep our heads and hearts "above water".  That feeling of treading water can have an effect on us, to bring us down.  Do we wallow in it or do we turn, look aside from and beyond the situation?  David turned and placed his hope in the Lord who had delivered him in the past and he trusted that the Lord would deliver him again.

John Piper writes, "Martyn Lloyd-Jones believes this issue of preaching truth to ourselves about God's future grace is all-important in overcoming spiritual depression. In his helpful book, Spiritual Depression, he writes, "Have you realized that most of your unhappiness in life is due to the fact that you are listening to yourself instead of talking to yourself? Take those thoughts that come to you the moment you wake up in the morning. You have not originated them, but they start talking to you, they bring back the problems of yesterday, etc. Somebody is talking. . . . Your self is talking to you. Now this man's treatment [in Psalm 42] was this: instead of allowing this self to talk to him, he starts talking to himself. "Why art thou cast down, O my soul?" he asks. His soul had been depressing him, crushing him. So he stands up and says, "Self, listen for a moment. I will speak to you." (20–21)". The battle against despondency is a battle to believe the promises of God. And that belief in God's future grace comes by hearing the word. And so preaching to ourselves the word of God is at the heart of the battle. 

Instead of listening to ourselvs, why don't we talk to ourselves about God's grace and realize that His mercies are new every morning.

1	O soul, are you weary and troubled? No light in the darkness you see? There's light for a look at the Savior, And life more abundant and free.
	Turn your eyes upon Jesus, Look full in His wonderful face, And the things of earth will grow strangely dim,   In the light of His glory and grace.
2	Through death into life everlasting He passed, and we follow Him there; O'er us sin no more hath dominion For more than conqu'rors we are!
3	His Word shall not fail you, He promised; Believe Him and all will be well; Then go to a world that is dying, His perfect salvation to tell!

Blessings,

Mike

Folllow the Verse of the Day blog at http://mikesvotd.blogspot.com

Ephesians 1:7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace.  NIV

Psalm 42:7-11

New King James Version

7 Deep calls unto deep at the noise of Your waterfalls;
All Your waves and billows have gone over me.
8 The Lord will command His lovingkindness in the daytime,
And in the night His song shall be with me—
A prayer to the God of my life.

9 I will say to God my Rock,
"Why have You forgotten me?
Why do I go mourning because of the oppression of the enemy?"
10 As with a [a]breaking of my bones,
My enemies [b]reproach me,
While they say to me all day long,
"Where is your God?"

11 Why are you cast down, O my soul?
And why are you disquieted within me?
Hope in God;
For I shall yet praise Him,
The help of my countenance and my God.