Psalm 42:3-5

3. My tears have been my food day and night,
While they say to me all day long, "Where is you God?"
4. These things I remember and I pour out my soul within me.
For I used to go along with the throng and lead them in procession to the house of God.
With the voice of joy and thanksgiving, a multitude keeping festival.
5. Why are you in despair, O my soul?
And why have you become disturbed within me?
Hope in God, for I shall again praise Him
For the help of His presence.
Psalm 42:3-5

Does this sound like depression? A terrible sadness that is with one waking or sleeping? Mockery from nonChristians? Hmmmmm, now where is that not so subtlely exhibited today? It is very plain in the drive-by media. ABC, CBS, NBC. CNN, MSNBC, public radio and television and most print media, all have a very very blatant bias to the socialist anti-Christian left. Sometimes it feels like a losing battle. How can we have hope to win or at the very least break even with such odds against us?

BUT in verse 5 is the reminder to "Hope in God", "For the help of His presence." . There is none like God. So "Why are you in despair, O My soul? And why have you become disturbed within me?" WHY? Why am I LETTING the enemy win?

"I shall again praise Him" I will remember. Even when things appear the darkest and the most depressing I know where my hope is. The living God, the unchanging God. I have a history with God. Just because unbelievers have not experienced the salvation, joy, comfort and security of being a child of God to NOT negate my history of personal blessing and miracles.

Why do I dispair and become depressed? I see that my emotions and some very minor circumstances have become upset and upsetting, not God. When has God not been faithful or changed? Never, never, never! In the middle of a situation it may look like I have been forgotten, that God does not see, that He is "dead", BUT when it is all over, I can clearly and unmistakedly see the God's hand of wisdom, grace and mercy was there all the time, holding and sheltering me.

Here and now I have chosen to give voice to my joy and thanksgiving, no matter what goes on around me. Praise God!

Psalm 23

For my devotions I am doing an in depth study of the Psalms. I am at the 23rd Psalm. This is a condensed version of part of the introduction. It has hit home for me.

The late Donald Grey Barnhouse was leaving the funeral service of his first wife.
While drivng down the highway he was trying to think of a way to explain and convey comfort to his young children. They drove by a large van and it's shadow passed over their car. He immediately knew he has the example and words needed for the moment.

"Children," he asked, "would you rather be run over by a truck, or by it's shadow?" Of course the children answered, "We'd much rather be run over by it shadow! The shadow can not hurt us."

Barnhouse, as master illustrator then said to his children, "The truck of death ran over the Lord Jesus two thousand years ago so that only its shadow now passes over us. That is all that has happened to your mother. Only the shadow of death has passed over her. She is unharmed in heaven."