When Anxious Thoughts Multiply

"If the LORD had not been my help, My soul would soon have dwelt in the abode of silence. If I should say, 'My foot has slipped,' Your lovingkindness, O LORD, will hold me up. When my anxious thoughts multiply within me, Your consolations delight my soul. "

Psalm 94:17-19

There may come a time in the life of a Christian when his soul feels adrift. It's not that she has left God, nor has He left her (for the Lord has said He will never leave nor forsake us). But there's a dryness, a thinness of spirit, that takes hold and threatens to lay God's loved one low. I've been there and maybe you have, too. Or maybe. . .just maybe. . .you're in that place today. If so, I want to encourage you to stop and let God be your help. It's so easy to allow ourselves to feel estranged from our Lord at times like these. We must make a conscious decision to let Him console us. Meditate on the Lord's words, such as these. and let them delight your soul:

"The LORD appeared to him from afar, saying, 

“I have loved you with an everlasting love;
Therefore I have drawn you with lovingkindness." -- Jeremiah 31:3

“Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and YOU WILL FIND REST FOR YOUR SOULS." -- Matthew 11:28-29

"Do not fear, for I am with you; 

Do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you, surely I will help you, 

Surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.’" -- Isaiah 41:10

"You are my hiding place; You preserve me from trouble; You surround me with songs of deliverance. Selah (pause and reflect)." -- Psalm 32:7

"From my distress I called upon the LORD; 

The LORD answered me and set me in a large place. 

The LORD is for me; I will not fear; 

What can man do to me?"

Psalm 118:5-6

The Lord loves you with an everlasting love. He's drawing you to Him with lovingkindness. The Lord beckons you to come to Him in your weariness and give Him your burdens. He will give you rest; rest for your soul. Don't fear. He's with you. Don't be anxious, He is your God. He will strengthen you and help you. He will hold you up with His righteous right hand. The Lord is your hiding place. He will preserve you from whatever is troubling you. He surrounds you and will deliver you. Call upon the Lord in your distress. He will answer you and place your feet in safety. God is for you. Don't allow fear to persuade you otherwise. There is nothing that man can do to you that God cannot overcome. God loves you, dear one.

Soul Talk

"Why are you in despair, O my soul? 
And why have you become disturbed within me? 
Hope in God, for I shall again praise Him 
For the help of His presence." 

Psalm 42:5

Have you ever felt so discouraged that you had to talk your soul into hoping in God? This is what David does in this psalm. He had seen the faithfulness of God in the past and had experienced great heights of joy. And yet, at the time of this writing, he is depressed. Things haven't been going well for him. He's under duress from the persecution of his enemies. Bad things happen to God's people; even to "a man after God's own heart." David struggled with his emotions, but he never stopped trusting in God. He reminded himself to "hope in God" and assured himself that he would "again praise Him for the help of". . .what?  His presence. It is the presence of the Lord that we need most when we are in despair. If your soul needs a pep talk today, Psalm 42 is a great resource for the words.

Hope in Despair

"My eyes pour down unceasingly,

         Without stopping, 

    Until the LORD looks down

 And sees from heaven."

Lamentations 3:49-50

After the devastation of Jerusalem and the exile of his people, Jeremiah went into a state of deep depression. Lamentations records the reality and intensity of his feelings: distress, torment, overflowing tears, groaning and more. He pours it all out before the Lord, and we see that for Jeremiah there will be no comfort aside from that which God will give. And yet there were glimpses of hope that Jeremiah caught: the Lord's lovingkindness; His compassion, faithfulness and goodness (Lamentations 3:22-25). There are times in our own lives when we need to pour out our troubles before the Lord. He doesn't condemn us for this. In fact, God will often use our sorrow to draw us closer to Himself. When we come seeking consolation, we will find hope.

The Prayer of the Depressed

How long, O LORD? Will You forget me forever?

         How long will You hide Your face from me? 

    How long shall I take counsel in my soul,

         Having sorrow in my heart all the day?

         How long will my enemy be exalted over me? 

    Consider and answer me, O LORD my God;

         Enlighten my eyes, or I will sleep the sleep of death, 

   And my enemy will say, "I have overcome him,"

         And my adversaries will rejoice when I am shaken. 

    But I have trusted in Your lovingkindness;

         My heart shall rejoice in Your salvation. 

    I will sing to the LORD,

         Because He has dealt bountifully with me.

 Psalm 13

David is known as a man after God's own heart (1 Samuel 13:14), yet he sometimes struggled with feeling abandoned by God. In the beginning verses of Psalm 13 we get a sense of David's despondency. But he does not keep these feelings to himself. He takes them to God, pouring them out to Him as a desperate plea. How long, O Lord? How long, how long, how long? David has been taking counsel from his own soul and that brings him nothing but constant sorrow. And so he humbly asks God to give him insight -- enlighten my eyes. Again we get a glimpse of desperation. If God doesn't answer, David's sure he'll die to the express joy of his enemies. Does God answer David? Does He enlighten him? I think He did. I think God spoke right to David's soul, bringing him the fellowship and comfort for which he longed. David moves from depression to rejoicing, recalling God's love and kindness and his own salvation. Finally, he sings to the Lord in full-blown worship.  From the pit of despair to sacrificial joy, all because David came to the Lord in transparent prayer. Who else can bring about this  transformation, except God? He opens His heart and ears to the prayer of the depressed.

Practice Trust

"To You, O LORD, I lift up my soul. 

    O my God, in You I trust,"

Psalm 25:1-2a

Six years ago I went through what I call a "dry spell".  I was serving God, but my soul was weary and parched, like a traveler who had crossed a desert. One night while crying out to God, He reminded me to trust Him. I pondered that word "trust" and penned an acrostic that helped me in a very practical way. When we are faced with a desert experience what should we do?  TRUST –

Turn to God

Rest in Him

Understand His Character

Stand on His promises

Take Him at His word