Downcast Souls

May 5

(Psalm 42:5-11 NIV) ““Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and {6} my God. My soul is downcast within me; therefore I will remember you from the land of the Jordan, the heights of Hermon--from Mount Mizar. {7} Deep calls to deep in the roar of your waterfalls; all your waves and breakers have swept over me. {8} By day the Lord directs his love, at night his song is with me-- a prayer to the God of my life. {9} I say to God my Rock, "Why have you forgotten me? Why must I go about mourning, oppressed by the enemy?" {10} My bones suffer mortal agony as my foes taunt me, saying to me all day long, "Where is your God?" {11} Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God.””

Even the strongest of believers will sometimes deal with a soul that is downcast. We try to keep our spirits up, but life has a way of letting the air out of our tires. And so our head goes down, and our soul feels as though it is drowning -- all the ocean’s waves are sweeping over us and we are sinking down. We feel forgotten by God. Our body aches. Our detractors taunt us and doubt the power of our God. But God is still with us. We cry out to Him and He hears us. We look back to past blessings and remember God’s faithful mercy in days gone by. We look ahead in hope and trust in the Lord’s promises to us. Deep inside we know God’s hand is still on us. His song is still in our hearts. We will live another day and lift our praise to Him. We will put one foot in front of the other and persevere.  We will sing His songs and pray to the God of life. God is with us. We will not give up. -- Friar Tuck’s Word of the Day