Downcast

"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."    Psalm 42:5

I wish I could say that my soul never felt downcast or disturbed, that I never felt hopeless.  But I can't.  There are days when just the daily tasks seem too big and my heart feels heavy, and the future is a blur.

One of the greatest things about the Bible is that it tells the truth....the whole truth.  And the truth is that we have a God who loves us more than we can imagine, who is intimately involved in our lives, who is patient and kind and faithful and good to the core.  It's also true that humans living in a fallen world can feel downcast in their souls and hopeless.  We have a God who "knows how we are formed and that we are made of dust" (Ps 103). He is patient and understands our downcast souls.

I get into trouble when I put my hope in anything other than God.  If I start to put my hope in my own ability to handle things or figure things out and handle it all, or in a system that supposed to take care of my son's needs, or in teachers who are supposed to find answers, or in a church that's supposed to be perfect, or.....well you get the picture.  God alone can be my hope, my Savior, my son's Savior, my husband's Savior.....

When my soul feels downcast and my heart feels heavy I have to pause and refocus my hope. 

I pray that you will have the grace today to lay whatever feels heavy to you at the foot of the cross of Jesus Christ.  And that you will find Him trustworthy and able to carry the burden with you.  I pray that His peace will fill your heart and soul and that you will not be disturbed within.

"Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you.  Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light." 
Matthew 11:28-30