Psalm 42 | Responding with Praise
Lately things have seemed a little off in my life.
Not on paper.
On paper my life looks great.
It is full of friends and family. It has a great career, beautiful ministry, my children are all in a good place and thriving. I am happily married, we just celebrated our 23rd anniversary.
But my soul feels like it is in despair.
I don’t know why I feel this way. I am asking God but He doesn’t always answer when or even how I want Him to answer me.
When Your Soul is Sad
Why are you in despair, O my soul?
Psalms 42:5
And why have you become restless and disturbed within me?
Hope in God and wait expectantly for Him, for I shall again praise Him
For the help of His presence.
I was recently sitting in a service listening to a local pastor speak. He asked the question “Have you ever just felt sad and down and did not know why?” It resonated with my heart and I began to think about this question. It made me think about the season I am in right now.
I have had moments of deep sadness that makes me want to draw nearer to God. In His presence is the only place that I feel whole, content and at peace. Even in the midst of my sadness, I lift my hands to worship God.
Encouragement from Psalm 42
Reading Psalm 42, I found a couple of things that made my heart flutter.
Verse 1 says as the dear longs for the water so my soul longs after God.
Verse 2 says my soul thirsts for God, for the living God.
Related Post: 4 Things to Try if You Feel Melancholy
In this season I am deciding what my next steps are. I continue to worship the living God. My soul longs for Him and I continue to keep my eyes on the Lord because even though I may never see the full picture God is here with me.
I Will Respond with Praise
- When the world asks, “Where is your God?” I will respond with praise.
- When the circumstances say “Where is your God?” I will respond with praise.
- When life gets hard, I will respond with praise.
- When sadness tries to overtake me, I will respond with praise.
I am reminded that the Lord is my rock and my rock is solid. I am challenged to keep my eyes on the Lord and praise Him through the hard stuff even when there are unknowns.
Join the Conversation
Do you ever find encouragement in Psalm 42?
How do you respond with praise to the troubles in your life?
We’d love to hear from you in the comments below.
When Life Gives You Lemons…
Make Lemonade with Jesus
When life gives you lemons it doesn’t have to sour your day. You can take the lemons life throws your way and make sweet lemonade with Jesus. In When Life Gives You Lemons you’ll find 21 devotions from Christian women doing just that.
