Why so downcast, oh my soul? Psalm 43:5
A lovely group of women and I are studying the truths that lay so beautifully written between the pages of Dee Brestin’s book, The God of all Comfort.
One young lady, Edna, said, “I can’t wait till we are done with this book.”
At first, I took just a little offense to her comment. 
Then, the other women agreed with her. 
“Why?” I asked.
“We are tired of crying!”
The little offense I took dissipated because… I was tired of crying too!!
The book in itself has hope written throughout, but the story is loaded with emotion.
After much thought, I addressed these extraordinary women.
“Do we read only those things that make us comfortable and help us feel good about ourselves and our circumstances, or do we read to learn more about ourselves and God, to grow in our faith and understanding and allow Him to change our hearts and minds to be more like His?”
They all laughed! Not haha funny laugh! It was more like “yes, you’re right, but we don’t have to like it”, laugh!
Most of us don’t change or develop deep faith under calm seas and blue skies. We often need the sea to billow and the skies to storm about to get our attention and remind us that we have not arrived, are not in control of the universe, and are in desperate need of renovation.
So we delved into the chapter on our sad souls.
Dee Brestin states in her book, that when our souls are sad or downcast, it is usually because we have placed our hope in something other than God. She’s not speaking nescessarily about incredible loss and grieving, though this book was born out of the death of her husband. She begns to look at her heart’s sadness a couple of years after her loss. She starts to ask the question, “Why is my soul still so downcast?”
She also says, “We are often reluctant to release the object of false hope, fearing that God may not be enough.”
That misplaced hope is not satisfying. Either the thing we put our hope in is disappointing us, or causing fear that it will disappoint.
My hope is in so many other things right now; things that are sure to disappoint.
That’s why the psalmist says, Put your hope in God. He is encouraging his/her soul to have hope because God does not disappoint.
My hope is misplaced in so many things but especially my husband’s job. He just heard this week that he has a big Security test to take and pass before the end of April or his job will be in peril.
PERIL? That’s a scary word. Especially when it’s capitalized.
As I read Dee last night, she asks the question, “Will you rescue me, (us) God?”
She reminds her readers that God might have a different rescue in mind than the one we desire.
Why so downcast oh my soul? Put your hope in God.
Help me hope in you, alone! Help!
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