Psalms 43:5 KJV
Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me? hope in God: for I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God.
Back in 1984 Anita and I moved to Astoria to plant a new church there. The work was more spiritually demanding than I could have imagined and I began to sink into a depression. Our first-born son, Bohannan arrived in July of that year. Anita and I were taking him to his first check-up when I rear-ended a vehicle at a stop light. Though the man whose car I hit was very gracious and did not require I pay for the damage (he was a Christian man) it still cause me to sink deeper still into depression. We got to the doctor's office and I asked Anita to go in with Bohannan. I was just too depressed to go in. While waiting for Anita I began to meditate upon a verse I had read that morning. That verse was Psalms 43:5.
The Holy Spirit got hold of me through that verse there in the waiting room. By the time Anita and Bohannan were finished with the doctor I was just about dancing! Nothing had changed in my circumstances (and they would not change for more than 3 years) but I was never down that low again. Sure, we had some tough times - the ministry is like that. But I had a promise fro God's Word; "...I shall yet praise Him..."
Three times in two Psalms God brings us this same encouragement.[1] We can trust God's promise. We shall yet praise Him. There will be times of sorrow and struggle, but God will finally and ultimately lift us up out of the pit and we shall yet praise Him.
Through the years other trials of faith have come but God has supplied me strength and grace to keep on through His Word.
Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me? hope in God: for I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God.
Back in 1984 Anita and I moved to Astoria to plant a new church there. The work was more spiritually demanding than I could have imagined and I began to sink into a depression. Our first-born son, Bohannan arrived in July of that year. Anita and I were taking him to his first check-up when I rear-ended a vehicle at a stop light. Though the man whose car I hit was very gracious and did not require I pay for the damage (he was a Christian man) it still cause me to sink deeper still into depression. We got to the doctor's office and I asked Anita to go in with Bohannan. I was just too depressed to go in. While waiting for Anita I began to meditate upon a verse I had read that morning. That verse was Psalms 43:5.
The Holy Spirit got hold of me through that verse there in the waiting room. By the time Anita and Bohannan were finished with the doctor I was just about dancing! Nothing had changed in my circumstances (and they would not change for more than 3 years) but I was never down that low again. Sure, we had some tough times - the ministry is like that. But I had a promise fro God's Word; "...I shall yet praise Him..."
Three times in two Psalms God brings us this same encouragement.[1] We can trust God's promise. We shall yet praise Him. There will be times of sorrow and struggle, but God will finally and ultimately lift us up out of the pit and we shall yet praise Him.
Through the years other trials of faith have come but God has supplied me strength and grace to keep on through His Word.
[1] Psalms 42:5 and Psalms 42:11 are the other two. I do not remember which of these three verses I was meditating upon in the doctor’s waiting room, but I do think I recall seeing it all three times.
No comments:
Post a Comment