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“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.” Psalm 43:5 NKJV

 

Hope is a fragile thing

easily bruised

butterfly wings.

Hope is a tenacious thing

glowing long after

the fire has gone out.

Hope is all you have.

If you lose all

and give out –

 

Don’t ever, ever give up

Hope!

 

We have all felt it – that precise moment when it seemed all hope is lost! You may even be in that very place right now. The heavens appear overcast and the sun is no longer shining in your world. You feel you will never smile again, let alone laugh. David knew that feeling well. The Psalms are full of him pouring out his heart to God as he counsels himself not to lose hope – to throw whatever was left of his anchor of hope into the stability of God’s love and care. If for any reason, your soul is cast down like David, speak to your soul and buoy yourself up by placing your hope (again) in God, who is the help of your countenance. And you will yet praise Him!

 

Today, I thought I’d share one of the daily readings from Hope, My Soul’s Anchor devotional. A few days ago, I was feeling downcast. Although, I wasn’t at that place where I felt I would never smile again but the heaviness seemed difficult to shake off. As I glanced through the YouVersion Bible App on my phone, the verse of the day caught my attention.

It was Psalm 42:11 NIV “Why, my soul, are you downcast?  Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God.”  It was a truth I knew and which I sorely needed to be reminded of. I re-read the entry for Day 1, titled Don’t give up. I thought about the questions David asked himself. I thought about the things that had me disturbed and made my soul downcast. I knew, in order to put my hope in God, I had to remind myself of the things He had already done. I had to write down what I was thankful for and what I could be thankful for.

I started that list with “simple and obvious” things I was thankful for. I was thankful I could read and write. Those two seemingly simple things meant I could read the Bible and others’ writings and receive encouragement for my soul. I could also record His words and promises to me. The act of writing in my journal helped pull my focus off the things that were weighing me down and readjusting them to the greatness and power of God.

There are days when life’s pressures weigh just a little bit heavier. Whether we can point to one or more tangible reasons for feeling downcast or not, we all need to talk to ourselves and be reminded of God’s faithfulness. At times, it’s easier to start that act of speaking to our soul by writing down what we need to tell ourselves.

If you are interested  in getting a copy of the devotional I referred to earlier, you can do so here . It’s also a great gift idea, especially as we approach that time of year when we traditionally give gifts to others.

Thanks for reading and have a blessed day.

Emi x