“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.” -{Psalm 43:5 NIV}
“downcast…disturbed”- laid low, depressed…agitated… “feelings” that took the psalmist into deep despair.
Interesting he does not deny he is depressed,{Psalm 42:2,5,11,;43:5}…The Hebrew verb means to be “bowed down or prostrated;” we might say, “Laid low,” or “really down,” – Note the psalmist’s description of himself: He mentions his countenance (42:11; 43:5). A depressed person looks sad or down. A loss of appetite and frequent crying are often present (42:3).
He describes his anguish as “pouring out” his soul (42:4); he felt emotionally drained. He felt as if he were in the deep, being overwhelmed by the waves (42:7). (Jonah quoted this verse when he was inside the great fish [Jon. 2:3].) Often depressed people feel overwhelmed by circumstances to such an extent that they are immobilized. They don’t know how to cope or where to begin…He repeatedly describes himself as being in despair (hopeless) and disturbed (anxious; 42:5, 6, 11; 43:5). The psalmist feels abandoned, even rejected by God, and he’s confused by it (42:9; 43:2).” -{Steven cole}
How do you deal with someone or for that matter yourself, when “feelings” are so real, powerful and lead you into the depths of despair? The Psalmist shows us how to deal with such “feelings.”
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HE CONFRONTS Himself!
He address’s himself. He speaks to himself. He asks himself,”Why…why?” He seeks to find out the root cause for such “feelings.” He doesn’t deny where he is at emotionally, – depressed, But he speaks to himself. He admits he is depressed. That’s a good place to start, but not end, because we do not need to live there! In a sense he is “militant” with himself – enough! This is going to stop… now! He does not ignore his condition, he confronts it!
“The help of my countenance and my God.
- Why are you cast down, O my soul?The psalmist had hope of God’s redemption, but it had not come yet. In the meantime, he would not surrender to his feelings of depression and discouragement. Instead, he challenged those feelings and brought them to God. He said to those cast down and disquieted feelings, “Hope in God. He will faithfully answer again, because He has before.”
- We see that at the end of the psalm none of the circumstances of the psalmist had changed – only his attitude, and what a difference that made. “Not yet has the answer come. The darkness and the mystery are still about him, but the shining way is seen; and again the soul is forbidden to despair and hope is encouraged in God.” (Morgan)
- For I shall yet praise Him: “The refrain returns to the conflict between faith and doubt, to the contrast between the present and the future, and to the hope that ‘I will yet praise him.’” (VanGemeren)
- The help of my countenance: The psalmist knew his countenance needed help – and God was just the one to bring it. The peace and joy that comes from trusting and praising God will help our face.” -{Preceptaustin commentaries}
“It takes the psalmist a while to get on top of his depression.
There are four cycles of lament and hope in these two psalms:
Lament > Hope
42:1-4 > 42:5
42:6-7 > 42:8
42:9-10 > 42:11
43:1-2 > 43:3-5″
– {Stepen Cole}
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HE COUNSEL’S HIMSELF.
How often we run here, there and everywhere, looking for answers when within us is the knowledge and power to know “FAITH comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of Christ…Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly, with wisdom teaching and counseling one another…” –
THE ANSWER is to change your thinking. ARREST YOUR THOUGHT LIFE. NOTE, He turns to God and He asks God to lead him, through His Word. Here we see his attitude is one of submission! How will he be led? Through God’s Word. “Send out Your light and truth let them lead me.” – V3. Destructive thoughts, taken captive through the Infallible Word of God!
Note – he turns to God and determines through submission to His Word that it is His Word who will “lead” him!”-v3. This is imperative. His Word which is truth to lead him. It is what the Holy Spirit testifies and uses to transform our thinking and choices. – {Rom 12:2}.
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HE CHANGES HIS FOCUS–
He changes his focus as must you and me and any other suffering , tormented soul.For the person laid low, suffers grievously, greatly, “mental anguish”,at times “tearfully sorrowful” as Peter describes the word “distress” in 1 Peter 1:6
Note, From “soul,”- yourself, to GOD! Stinking thinking on self led him to willingly follow the thoughts of despair and disturbed within him. We WILLINGLY allow “thoughts” to arrest us and lead us into despair, as though God is dead, or absent or impotent, uncaring towards us and there is no help, we might as well lay down and die! Though we may not say it, it is how we think and believe as a result. God is dead! But God is in His heavens and sent His Son for you on that cross to proclaim His great love for you! We live as though He has been defeated at the cross and therefore we are helpless when in fact Jesus arose from the dead victorious and God has given us His Spirit to reside within and empower us and also”everything pertaining to life and Godliness.” {2 Peter 1:3}.Too often we Focus on what we cannot or is not changing, namely the circumstances, and we tend to sink lower and lower, when we need to SUBMIT ourselves and the circumstances to Him and Change our ATTITUDE towards God. Is He God? Is He Sovereign, in Control? Is He able? Is He Good? Has He not promised to work all things including this thing- for good,to those who Love God and are the called? When we are overwhelmed in darkness, we need to affirm the Truth Of God;s Word. Like a pilot who may get vertigo must trust not what he or she sees, but trust the instruments of the plane to give then clarity, truth as to what is right and true. Trust the Plane’s instruments and we too when spiritually losing our equilibrium must put our face to His Word and trust Him and what He reveals of Himself. He will enable, clarify and empower us to align our ATTITUDE up with His Word! When the CIRCUMSTANCES are not changing, and the temptation to be SIGHT CONSCIOUS… Pray and Chose to walk by faith, in the Faithfulness of God, who is LORD OVER the circumstance, LORD IN the circumstances.. and ADJUST YOUR ATTITUDE ….ACCORDING TO WHO HE IS! “Whatever pleases Him in heaven or on earth in the seas or in the deep He does….Power belongs to the LORD…and His LOVE is Loyal…{Read Psalm 135:6; Psalm 118:11-12}.
A RIGHT ATTITUDE ADOPTED AND MAINTAINED… COMES…
THE REALIZATION OF THIS RESURRECTION POWER WE HAVE…
We have the POWER to refuse to allow sinful,”stinking thinking” to master us and lead us down into the depths of despair. We can do by choosing to take each thought captive to the obedience of Christ. Philippians 4:8 is a must to hide in your heart. In the verse there are 6 “what- ever’s.”Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely {Gracious}, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell {ponder} on these things.” Does your thinking pass the test of these “Whatever’s?” If not, don’t allow it access to cause you to dwell and dwell on it.
HERE IS HOW IT WORKS; A “thought” comes to your mind. It seems to linger there and catch your attention, it may be the “what if’s” or the “should have.” It can be fears of the future or failures of the past. But the “thought” now like a worm begins to bore into your conscience and takes over your thought life. You keep going back to it again and again and each time more and more scenarios of the “what if'” or “should have’s” bore deeper and deeper until you find yourself slowly but surely going down deeper into a place of hopelessness, anxiety, fear and you ‘feel’ you cannot get out. You “feel” as though you are without hope! You embrace lies as “truth” and live as though God does not exist or able to meet you. In reality, It is “trust” in self. What a terrible arm of flesh to lean on!
It all began with A SINGLE THOUGHT!
Philippians 4:8 is like a Grid for our “thoughts.” ASK YOURSELF…” is this a TRUE THOUGHT… about God… about who I am “In Christ…His promises?” Is it a “lovely thought…is it praiseworthy etc…”
If not then CHOOSE TO…
IDENTIFY IT,
REJECT IT AND
REPLACING IT! CHOOSE INSTEAD TO THINK ON THE TRUTH.. ABOUT JESUS CHRIST WHO IS TRUTH -{John 14:6} and HIS WORD which is TRUTH {John 17;17}. Who you are “in Christ” The POWER you have to live and the PROMISES you have for living,-{2 Peter 1:3-4}
REPEAT- AGAIN AND AGAIN…REPEAT!
The Psalmist speaks to himself, he counsels himself, he changes the focus “Put your HOPE IN GOD!”
“Hope in God;”Scriptural “Hope,” is not the “hope” of a gambler, a “hope of chance” but a hope of “Certainty!”
HOPE IN GOD- For HE IS IN CONTROL- HOPE IN GOD- HE LOVES YOU.HOPE IN GOD HE WILL NOT LEAVE YOU- HOPE IN GOD- HE IS WORKING IT ALL OUT FOR GOOD AND HIS GLORY! HOPE IN GOD, HOPE IN GOD, HE KEEPS ALL HIS PROMISES AND AS HE HAS BEEN Faithful to do in the past to countless generations never once failing to keep one, HE IS AND WILL FOREVER BE TO YOU- FAITHFUL!!
HOPE IN GOD, who has Given His Holy Spirit to empower us and His Word to govern, guide our thinking and decision making!
HOPE IN GOD; THOUGH YOU FORGET HIM HE WILL NOT FORGET YOU. HOPE IN GOD- HE WILL GET YOU HOME SAFELY TO BE WITH HIM. “Why cast down o my soul? Why so disturbed within me?, PUT YOUR HOPE IN GOD!.” THINK on Him, HOPE with confident expectation in Him and… you will praise Him…”MY Savior and MY God!” Look at the Psalmist personal relationship, God is his “Savior,” and his “God!”
* “In The Trial SEEK GOD HIMSELF, not just Relief from the trial.To seek relief is only human, understandable But He Himself is our greatest need.{Read Psalm 42:1-2, 5-6, 11;43:5-6}
“When we’re in emotional pain, we should see it as an opportunity to seek God and grow in Him, not just try for quick relief. Though the psalmist was in pain, he realized that his real need was God (42:1-2, 5-6, 11; 43:4-5). In fact, he begins this psalm by recognizing that above all else, his need was for God and God alone. I love the way Matthew Henry ([Revell], 3:394) comments on 42:1: “casting anchor thus at first, he rides out the storm.” The first place you need to cast your anchor when the storms of depression hit is pray, “O God, my soul pants and thirsts for You, the living God!”
(1) Seek the person of God. The psalmist’s thirst for God seems to grow in intensity, not slacken. Matthew Henry puts it (3:394) that the psalmist thirsts “for nothing more than God, but still for more and more of him.” Depression can either whet or dull our thirst for God. God allows suffering to drive us closer in dependence upon Him. The need for the depressed person is reality with the living God. We are to hope in Him; He is our help.
Seek the PERSON of God; {43:2,4}. Seek the PRESENCE of God -{42;2,5}, Seek the PRAISE of God-{42:8;43;4}, Seek the PRECEPTS of God-{43:3-4}. Seek God with the PEOPLE of God.-{42:4; 43;3-4} ” {preceptaustin commentaries}
In Psalm 43 he says of GOD
A.-“You are the God of MY Strength” -v1
B.- He desires God’s Word – He asks God to “send out Your LIGHT and TRUTH let THEM LEAD ME” -v2. He now goes from being “feeling” orientated to looking to God’s TRUTH to lead him! His “Light,” versus the darkness of despair!
“Oh, send out Your light and Your truth!
Let them lead me;
- Send out Your light and Your truth!The psalmist knew that his light and his truth were not enough – he needed the light and truth of God. It wasn’t within him, so if God did send it, he would not have it.”{preceptaustin commentaries}
- “Thy light and thy truth, i.e. thy favour, or the light of thy countenance, and the truth of thy promises made to me.” (Poole)
- Let them lead me: This was a prayer of submission. “Lord, I don’t want You to send out Your light and truth just so I may admirethem. I want to submit myself to Your light and Your truth and have them lead me. I need a leader, so lead me.”
- This began the psalmist’s procession of praise. He began in depression, but will end up praising God. It all began with the lightand truthof God leading the way.
- “We seek not light to sin by, nor truth to be exalted by it, but that they may become our practical guides to the nearest communion with God.” (Spurgeon)
- – God “MY exceeding JOY.” – v 4
D. – “My {Help,} Savior”
E. – “My God”– v4
“I will yet PRAISE HIM!
CHOOSE to FOCUS YOUR THINKING ON THE CHARACTER OF GOD!
His character, His Word. IT IS A CHOICE TO CONTINUALLY MAKE, AND MAINTAIN. YOU HAVE THE POWER. THE HOLY SPIRIT RESIDES WITH YOU TO ENABLE YOU. You have “precious and magnificent promises” to encourage you. {2 Peter 1:3-4}. “These things were written that through PERSEVERANCE and the ENCOURAGEMENT OF THE SCRIPTURES you might have HOPE.” {Romans 15:4}.
Note– It is a fight of faith- persistently you and I must choose Him. His Word! Thinking RIGHT about God and TRUSTING Him, is to be developed by you, and His Truth choose to read, and meditate upon His Word, and the Holy Spirit will make Christ and HIS Promises a Hope for you, amidst difficulties. As we THINK Right- {Phil 4:8}. DO RIGHT {Phil 4:9} and His Peace accompanies! {Phil 4:9}.
Living by destructive “feelings” that are not in alignment with the truth of God’s Word will lead us into dark places at times.
People “suffer”– and harshness or unkindness or cliches is no proper response to those who are in such a dark and difficult place.
Paul wrote in 1 Thess 5 to
- “encourage the disheartened, help the weak be PATIENT with all…”
- and Love is KIND, Love is Patient.
- Job 6:14 says “in time of affliction there should be…” what? “KINDNESS from his friend.” Be a friend by being KIND the word speaks of useful, spending oneself on others…treating them the same way you would want them to treat you if it was you in their condition. Love is Kind -{1 Cor 13:4}… I cannot emphasize how much the Lord cares for the hurting, how tender He is and wants us to be.
- Think of this when dealing with someone “As you DO to the least of these My brothers you DO UNTO…ME”- The way we treat others is in exact proportion to the way we treat Him! Be tender, be kind, be helpful, be loving….handle with care!!! Build them up, don’t belittle, or bludgeon them with unkindness! They are His and they need tender loving care, as He showed with Elijah in the cave!
He lovingly provides us with his Word, to help one another -{Read Col 3:15-16}
Submitting to His Word and choosing to “THINK” and let His Truth lead us to God Himself and His Word to occupy our thinking will influence us and give us the ability to choose not to allow despair to take us to the mat and leave us there. Arise soul- Speak to yourself- I will not be controlled by destructive feelings over truth. Counsel yourself from the Word of God. Change the focus of self to the Savior… His character. Hide His Word in your heart. Speak the truth to yourself… about GOD… and who you are “In Christ….” He elevates the heart.
Despair begins with a thought that is allowed entrance that is not IMMEDIATELY IDENTIFIED and confronted with truth! The truth about God and His Word.
You have the power to choose what you will think of and meditate upon!
Do you need to confront yourself?
Do you need to speak to yourself?
Do you need to counsel yourself with the truth of God’s Word?
Do you need to change your focus?
“I will yet PRAISE HIM!”- The Psalmist changed his focus and realized He was worthy of his occupation and he would PRAISE HIM. God who was His Strength, his EXCEEDING JOY, SAVIOR, my GOD… who could lead him with LIGHT and TRUTH!– PRAISE HIM!
You do not have to YIELD to these thoughts you have VICTORY in the LORD JESUS. IT IS A FIGHT OF FAITH. ONE THOUGHT AT A TIME. IT CAN SEEM LIKE AN ONSLAUGHT, BUT YOU HAVE ALL YOU NEED FOR THIS FIGHT. HIS WORD.THE INDWELLING HOLY SPIRIT, HOPE- CONFIDENCE IN HIM. ENCOURAGEMENT FROM HIS WORD. THE HOLY SPIRIT TO COME ALONGSIDE TO STRENGTHEN YOU.
RECOGNIZE THE THOUGHT- EXAMINE THE THOUGHT, IN LIGHT OF THE SIX “WHATEVER’S”- Memorize this passage and use as it were a Detective, police officer, soldier to protect and promote healthy, God honoring thinking!
REJECT THE THOUGHT-
REPLACE THE THOUGHT- WITH TRUTH!
PRAISE HIM!{Speak well of Him}
How? Familiarize yourself with His character as mentioned above and as you read His Word, look and see how HE REVEALS Himself as. Meditate upon Him- The truth will “set you free!”
REPEAT EVERY TIME AND YOUR MIND WILL BE RENEWED BY HIS WORD!
“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.”
“…O send out Your light and Your truth, let them lead me;” -{v3}.