Thrive: A Journey Through the PsalmsSample

Get Unstuck

Perhaps these two chapters are some of the most moving verses of lament. The beautiful analogy of the deer panting for water describes the desperation of the Psalmist to encounter God. As we read further, we realize that this hunger for God comes from a place of significant loss and sorrow. The Psalmist recalls their past encounters with God and can't seem to reconcile why his life is so sorrowful.

On several occasions, the Psalmist, overwhelmed by emotion, speaks to his very own soul crying out.

"Why, my soul, are you downcast?

    Why so disturbed within me?

Put your hope in God,

    for I will yet praise him,

    my Savior and my God."

There are times in our lives when our soul seems to take over every part of our being, bringing down our emotions and our ability to walk in the Spirit. In those moments, we must learn to speak to our soul. When we choose to walk in the Spirit rather than being trapped in the sorrow of our own emotions, we find peace. Commanding our soul to put our hope in God reminds us that He is the one who saves us, and our problems become smaller in light of his greatness. 

Daily Challenge

Do you find yourself sometimes carried away by the weight of your emotions? Practice choosing to put your hope in God. Tell your soul that you will not be controlled by how you feel, but choose to praise God at all times.