Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise Him, my salvation and my God.
Psalms 42:11 (ESV)
The walk of a follower of Jesus Christ is not guaranteed to be free of struggle. On the contrary, perhaps. The joy of the Spirit fills us in spite of what our worldly circumstances might look like. This is the witness of a follower who is filled a Love that is not of this world. But let’s not get ahead of ourselves.
When the dark night of the soul is given to us…
When we experience the misunderstanding of others, the divisions of strife, public lashings from those against us, and perhaps even a glimpse of the isolation of the cross…
When we are overcome with sadness, sorrow, and grief…
Let us be reminded that our own Savior has walked these same steps before us. Brought to His knees in the garden. He was tempted to change his path by the weight of all he had experienced and he was about to endure. Overcome with emotion, he prayed more earnestly with his sweat becoming as drops of blood.
In the darkest hour, we are not alone, and Love still reigns. We still have our God to go to.
We can ask ourselves, “Why are you cast down, O my soul?”
We can remind ourselves, “Hope in God.”
We can trust in a future in which we shall again praise Him, our salvation and our God.
Amen.