Speak to Your Soul

Why are you cast down, O my soul? And why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God; for I shall yet praise Him again, The help of my countenance and my God. — Psalms 42:11 NKJV

Have you ever had a frank, honest, heart-to-heart talk with yourself or with your soul? If you do, do you listen? Do you excuse, rationalise, justify your situation or what you are going through?

Times of discouragement and depression will come. In fact, everyone at some point has experienced discouragement or depression. This may have been caused by sickness, financial problems, joblessness, family issues, mental health, and so on.

The question is, why do some people bottle up their pain? Why do we sometimes keep quiet about what troubles us? Some people even caress, cuddle, rationalise or justify their pain and refuse to talk about it.

What is troubling you? What frustrates you? What are you battling or struggling with right now?

Are you frustrated and despairing life in general? Are you powerless to break a destructive bad habit? Is there a co-worker, family member or neighbour who’s driving you crazy who will not allow you to have peace of mind?

Perhaps you have lost your vibrancy and love for the LORD or things of God? Have you been asking yourself, where is your God?

Don’t despair. Don’t grow weary but keep your mind set and focused on the right direction of praise, faith and hope in the LORD. As the psalmist encouraged himself – “Hope in God; for I shall yet praise Him again”— because the LORD is more than able to change your situation and/or bring something good out of it.

Psalms 42 and 43 typically describes the state of depression the psalmist was in and how he dealt with it and came out of it.

Most often, during times or periods of depression, we talk too much about the problem. But in Psalm 42, the psalmist started with the answer to the problem. “As the deer longs for streams of water, so I long for you, O God. I thirst for God, the living God. When can I go and stand before him?” Psalm 42:1-2 (NLT)

I have found that whenever I focus on finding solutions to the things that trouble me, I quickly become discouraged and sometimes become depressed. This is because I often expect a quick answer or resolution, and sometimes because I feel so powerless to change the situation.

But when I intentionally keep my mind and thoughts focused on the truth of God’s word, it helps me overcome depression, anxiety, and fear – “And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.” Philippians 4:8 (NLT)

So, why do I still feel discouraged when I know what I know? When I know that God is the only true answer to discouragement and depression? Rejoice O my soul for I know that my Redeemer He lives!

Stay blessed,

LaraLex