Encouraging Your Soul

Hello friend and welcome back to the blog and welcome to the month of March. Happy New Month!

I heard this question recently and wanted to ask you all. If life could hand you a remote and you could fast forward any part, what areas would you like to skip?

Truth is, there are a few areas I would like to definitely skip. However, with the sovereignty of God, I realize that every difficult/challenging/dramatic moment in life has been ordained by God. This is true for your life as well.

So how do we handle our minds when we’re being bombarded by the challenges of life?

This leads me to the title of today’s post “encouraging your soul.”

David is our prime subject for someone who was not afraid to talk to himself. And I’m not talking about negative self-talk (because some of us are very familiar with that - myself included).

I’m talking about being honest and vulnerable and then using scripture to encourage yourself in the Lord.

Ps 42 :5 states: “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.” ‭ESV‬‬

David wrote Psalm 42 during a very hard time in his life. Some research shows that he was battling depression and despair on top of forced exile and was just longing to be in God’s presence.

He starts by asking his soul, “Why are you cast down?” And why are you in turmoil?

Life is full of ups and downs. There are days when even our souls can feel downcast and in turmoil and it is especially during those times that we need to run to the shepherd of our souls. It is especially during those times that we need to cry out to Him and encourage ourselves in His Word/through prayer.

You see, David was in the midst of suffering, but was able to tell himself to hope in God. Then, in faith believed he will be praising God soon.

Too many times, our hope and praise come after the trials; or when we start to see something working in our favor. While we are in the middle of the trial we become too burdened to praise Him.

My encouragement to you is to start studying the word; meditate on it and then use it to encourage your soul.

Prayer

Dear Father, I’m so grateful for your goodness and love towards me. Please help me to hide your word in my heart so that in times of suffering, testing, life’s challenges… I can rehearse those truths to my soul. Help us all. In Jesus name. Amen.