Psalm 42: 5 reads, “Why are thou cast down, O my soul? And why art thou disquieted in me? Hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him for the help of his countenance. “Matthew Henry’s Commentary of this Psalm reads, “The way to forget our miseries, is to remember the God of our mercies. David saw troubles coming from God’s wrath, and that discouraged him. But if one trouble follows hard after another, if all seem to combine for our ruin, let us remember they are all appointed and overruled by the Lord.” Right now, our country is facing troubles that only the Lord our creator can resolve. As a Christian we must take our place and be a beacon of light for the world to see.
Hope is necessary to live a life that gives way to finding peace and joy. As a licensed counselor, I have had many clients that have come into my office that have experienced so many disappointments they are in a place of confusion and hopelessness. In order to find hope again clients must find what it is that has derailed their hope. Without hope there can be no faith for the scripture tells us that faith is the substance of what one is hoping for. Yet the evidence of things not seen. So, this tells me what we are hoping for is a catalyst for building faith. Hope serves as an anchor of the soul. Why do we think that faith operates outside of hope when those things that we are hoping for is what faith actually becomes? What are you hoping for? Think about it for a moment. Especially during this critical time in the history of our country.
Psalm 46:1 “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.” A FB friend of mine, a gal from my hometown wrote this prayer.
Dear God,
Protect your people from harm. Deliver us, we pray, from the strife of tongues. Keep us under the shadow of your wings. Remind us of who you are. You are the Great I AM, the ruler of the universe, the creator, the Father of all humankind. We are the sheep of your pasture. O Lord, lead us beside still waters. Restore our souls as we follow you today.
Rekindling the Flame 