What’s the state of your soul this morning? Are you weighed down by worry? Let me speak these good words over you, “Trust and don’t be afraid!”
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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 42:5 – NIV
I had a bad morning last week. Do you ever have one of those mornings when nothing seems good?
Last Thursday, I woke up with the weight of a myriad of problems bearing down on my chest. Concerns for friends and family members were on my mind. Tired of the social isolation induced by Covid-19 precautions, I found myself struggling with the desire to get out and about while remaining nervous about staying safe. On top of all that, I felt overwhelmed by the news of tragedy and unrest that scroll across my TV screen.
Instead of enjoying my usual morning routine of breakfast on my front porch, I found my mind swirling with anxious thoughts, too consumed by my worries to enjoy the blooms of my flowers or the birdsong in the trees around me. Discouraged. Disturbed. Downcast. That’s a 3-D description of the state of my soul.
I did remember to pray, lifting up my loved ones along with my concerns. Still, my anxious thoughts kept swirling.
The word “downcast” kept circling through my thoughts, and that made me think of the opening words of Psalm 42:5, “Why, my soul, are you downcast?” I must confess that I couldn’t remember all of the verse, but just the line about feeling downcast and a vague recall that the verse ended with putting your hope in The Lord. I knew I needed to go look up the verse, but there was no time. I had to get ready for a doctor’s appointment.
My state of mind did not improve in the shower. Finishing up, I opened the shower door to grab a towel. That’s when it happened.
My phone was lying on the bathroom counter three feet away. Suddenly, without so much as a touch from me, my phone began talking, a familiar male voice saying, “June 11. Trust me and don’t be afraid, for I am your Strength and your Song.” Somehow, my Audible app had turned on, playing the recording of my devotional book, “Jesus Calling” by Sarah Young.
I stood there, dumbstruck, staring at the phone as the voice continued to talk about the battle for control of the mind.
Well, friends, if that doesn’t get your attention, then I guess nothing will. Stepping across the room to pause the book at the end of the passage, I shook my head in amazement, my brain replaying the opening words again, “Trust me and don’t be afraid…”
It’s a scary time in our nation, a time of fear, frustration, heartache and loss. But we are not without help, and we are not without hope. Listen again to the wise counsel in Psalm 42:5, “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.
We are not in control of the chaos that surrounds us, but we know the One who is sovereign above all things. We must put our trust in God our Savior. He is our Hope and our Refuge, and somehow, some way, He will see us through the storms that threaten us today.
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He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand.
Psalm 40:2 – NIV
PRAYER
O Lord, the battle rages all around us. Our minds are swirling with anxious thoughts. But You, O Lord, are sovereign over all the earth. You know our troubles. You know our fears. You are our strong tower, our Refuge in the storm. Help us to trust You and not be afraid.
Faith Beyond Sight 