Why are you cast down, O my soul,
Psalms 43:5 (ESV)
and why are you in turmoil within me?
Hope in God; for I shall again praise him,
my salvation and my God.
Do you ever experience times in your life when God seems distant? When you cry out to Him, but there seems to be no answer? When you are just down in the dumps?
If you have, then welcome to the club. The psalmist seemed to be in that condition in this verse. And, while I seldom experience high highs or low lows, there are times when God seems to be further away than at other times. And I would guess that is true of most, if not all, of us.
What do you do when you find yourself in that condition? If it persists, it is worth performing a self-evaluation. Is there something in your life that is coming between you and God? If so, at least part of the solution is to deal with what is causing the separation.
However, oftentimes it is nothing more than the emotional ups and downs we all experience. Some days I feel better and more alive than others. On some days, I’m dragging, the sun isn’t shining, there’s trouble at work, a friend or family member is sick or has died, or I just feel unappreciated. And how I am feeling impacts how close I feel to God.
What do you do on those days? The psalmist tells us that regardless of his feelings, he will put his trust and hope in God. The feelings will come and go. And we do not always have control over them. But we can always hope in God. Regardless of how I feel today, the feelings will change, and I will be able to praise God, my Savior and Lord.
Don’t depend on your feelings. They are not always a good gauge of how close God is. Instead, regardless of your feelings, keep your hope in God and look to Him. Trust in Him rather than your feelings.
