What do you do when your soul is full of troubles?

 Psalm 88:1–18 (ESV): 

1  O Lord, God of my salvation, 

I cry out day and night before you. 

 2  Let my prayer come before you; 

incline your ear to my cry! 

 3  For my soul is full of troubles, 

and my life draws near to Sheol. 

 4  I am counted among those who go down to the pit; 

I am a man who has no strength, 

 5  like one set loose among the dead, 

like the slain that lie in the grave, 

  like those whom you remember no more, 

for they are cut off from your hand. 

 6  You have put me in the depths of the pit, 

in the regions dark and deep. 

 7  Your wrath lies heavy upon me, 

and you overwhelm me with all your waves. Selah 

 8  You have caused my companions to shun me; 

you have made me a horror to them. 

  I am shut in so that I cannot escape; 

 9  my eye grows dim through sorrow. 

  Every day I call upon you, O Lord; 

I spread out my hands to you. 

 10  Do you work wonders for the dead? 

Do the departed rise up to praise you? Selah 

 11  Is your steadfast love declared in the grave, 

or your faithfulness in Abaddon? 

 12  Are your wonders known in the darkness, 

or your righteousness in the land of forgetfulness? 

 13  But I, O Lord, cry to you; 

in the morning my prayer comes before you. 

 14  O Lord, why do you cast my soul away? 

Why do you hide your face from me? 

 15  Afflicted and close to death from my youth up, 

I suffer your terrors; I am helpless. 

 16  Your wrath has swept over me; 

your dreadful assaults destroy me. 

 17  They surround me like a flood all day long; 

they close in on me together. 

 18  You have caused my beloved and my friend to shun me; 

my companions have become darkness. 

Life is hard! 

Sometimes, when you think about all you have been through you can rack up the negative situations, experiences, health issues and relationship breakdowns and feel like this psalmist did - on the edge of death and despair. You can end up seeing that there is suffering from the start to the finish of life, and end up feeling empty, alone and as if life is vanishing from your body. Yet, what great advantage as believers in God do we have in these times! 

For you have someone to turn to, someone to moan at, and an eternal future to behold! Although life can feel cruel and miserable, in desperation you can cry out, ‘O Lord, why do you cast my soul away? Why do you hide your face from me?’ You have the great privilege of knowing who to go to when life seems insignificant, wearing and disappointing. For, where else can you go when your inner self is consumed with turmoil and misery - who else can know or understand your innermost thoughts when ‘they surround me like a flood all day long; they close in on me together’? Even if you have no person left who cares or you can trust, you have Jesus! 

Do not let the negative thoughts take over. Be real about how you feel, but seek the truth and trust and believe in that rather than get bogged down with emotion and circumstance. Look to the Word of God, talk with faithful, God-believing companions and keep praying. Seek the truth. For emotions, circumstances, memories, and even friends change, but the truth of God never fails! 

You may feel like you have no strength, death is close, that your ‘soul is full of troubles’, that your sin is too big, and that you have been rejected by all. Yet remember God. These psalmists do. They recall  that life isn’t over yet and that God is the ‘God of my salvation’ plus He cannot show wonders and love to those that are no longer on Earth, but He can to you who are alive. Therefore allow your mind to rest secure in the knowledge that He is your salvation. His faithfulness, love and power are certain. So call upon God everyday like the sons of Korah; keep praying, keep believing, keep waiting and see what God can do!

Is it well with your soul?

 Psalm 63:1–11 (ESV):  

A Psalm of David, when he was in the wilderness of Judah. 

1  O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you; 

my soul thirsts for you; 

my flesh faints for you, 

as in a dry and weary land where there is no water. 

2  So I have looked upon you in the sanctuary, 

beholding your power and glory. 

3  Because your steadfast love is better than life, 

my lips will praise you. 

4  So I will bless you as long as I live; 

in your name I will lift up my hands. 

5  My soul will be satisfied as with fat and rich food, 

and my mouth will praise you with joyful lips, 

6  when I remember you upon my bed, 

and meditate on you in the watches of the night; 

7  for you have been my help, 

and in the shadow of your wings I will sing for joy. 

8  My soul clings to you; 

your right hand upholds me. 

9  But those who seek to destroy my life 

shall go down into the depths of the earth; 

10  they shall be given over to the power of the sword; 

they shall be a portion for jackals. 

11  But the king shall rejoice in God; 

all who swear by him shall exult, 

for the mouths of liars will be stopped. 

In the wilderness, physical or spiritual, you can take God with you. He doesn’t disappear when life gets dull or difficult, dry or barren, but do you include Him in your life when it does? 

David was in an actual wilderness, but was also feeling empty and fruitless in himself. This psalm shows how his internal state is reflected by his natural surroundings. He was feeling thirsty and faint, tired, bored, fed up, living in lack and unrefreshed. Ever felt like that? David could see the similarities between where he was physically to how he was doing mentally, emotionally and spiritually. There was a wilderness around him and also insider him. So, not content to continue living like that, David decided to do something about it. 

For David realised that just because he was in a physical wilderness, it doesn’t mean he needed to live feeling; dull, dried up and barren in himself. So he recalled happier, more fulfilling times. He remembered the joy of praising God in the sanctuary, he recalled the help God has been to him, and that even when he feels like he is just clinging on, God has firm hold of him (v8)! Even now. Even when there are jackals prowling about, scorching heat, little to nourish the body, David takes comfort and refreshment from God as the nourishment for his soul. David knows God is the same now in this fruitless, dry season as He is in the times of partying and plenty, therefore he set his mind to live in the joy of the former times. He intentionally set his heart and mind on his previous experiences that showed God’s presence. He allowed himself to be happy with the memories of what he had been through to encourage and inspire him to keep going in this wilderness. For David knew, that just as at those great times, his soul, his internal state could still be peaceful, content and experience joy, even in the wilderness. Times like this will come to us all, David demonstrates that we can not just survive those times but we can also thrive in them, for he says, 'My soul will be satisfied as with fat and rich food, and my mouth will praise you with joyful lips'. Do you set your heart and mind to be content when the going gets tough?

This attitude reminds me of a hymn called, ‘it is well with my soul’. The lyrics are inspiring and behind them is the story of tragedy. The writer of the hymn, Horatio Spafford, within a few short years lost his money and all his children (see this link to read more (story behind 'it is well with my soul'). Yet in the midst of this tragedy, God comforted and spoke to him so that his response was to write the hymn, ‘it is well with my soul’. What an inspiration and a great example of faith! This man was walking through misery, a fruitless wilderness, but he clung onto the fact that he was not walking alone. He did not abandon God, but remembered and valued Him during the life altering pain. Just like David. 

Both men, Horatio and David, knew and experienced the reality that it could be well with their soul in the most terrifying and terrible times of life. The same can be true of you too if you decide that, no matter the circumstances, your ‘soul clings to’ God. These men did not allow life’s tragedies, confusions, dullness or difficulties define their faith, but their faith defined their troubles. These men of God held firm to Him, and He shaped and informed their lives even in the wilderness. They set their minds to remember God and recall His; faithfulness, kindness, power and love even in the darkest times because His, ‘steadfast love is better than life’. Therefore their souls were, ‘satisfied as with fat and rich food’. They were content, although grieving, firm in purpose although confused, and faith-filled although surrounded by trouble and tragedy. They lived all of life with God; the good, bad, and everything in-between. Is this how you live your life?

The lives of Horatio and David give us powerful testimonies of how a believer can live not just in behaviour, but also in mindset. They both understood that no matter the situation, ’it is well with my soul’. Is it well with yours? 

When life brings trouble and tragedy, do you accept and cling to the truth that God is with you, He loves you and is good? His right hand can uphold you if you let Him. Your life could become a great testimony of hope and faith, like these men, if you learn to remember and celebrate God throughout your life no matter the circumstances. You have the great privilege of living life remembering that it is well with your soul because of Jesus, do you? Are you living a life of contentment even when life is unpleasant or even tragic? You too could inspire others, even future generations if you live your life knowing the wellness of your soul in all situations.

it is well with my soul

Where do you go with your internal battles?

 Psalm 55:1–23 (ESV):  

1  Give ear to my prayer, O God, 

and hide not yourself from my plea for mercy! 

2  Attend to me, and answer me; 

I am restless in my complaint and I moan, 

3  because of the noise of the enemy, 

because of the oppression of the wicked. 

For they drop trouble upon me, 

and in anger they bear a grudge against me. 

4  My heart is in anguish within me; 

the terrors of death have fallen upon me. 

5  Fear and trembling come upon me, 

and horror overwhelms me. 

6  And I say, “Oh, that I had wings like a dove! 

I would fly away and be at rest; 

7  yes, I would wander far away; 

I would lodge in the wilderness; Selah 

8  I would hurry to find a shelter 

from the raging wind and tempest.” 

9  Destroy, O Lord, divide their tongues; 

for I see violence and strife in the city. 

10  Day and night they go around it 

on its walls, 

and iniquity and trouble are within it; 

11  ruin is in its midst; 

oppression and fraud 

do not depart from its marketplace. 

12  For it is not an enemy who taunts me— 

then I could bear it; 

it is not an adversary who deals insolently with me— 

then I could hide from him. 

13  But it is you, a man, my equal, 

my companion, my familiar friend. 

14  We used to take sweet counsel together; 

within God’s house we walked in the throng. 

15  Let death steal over them; 

let them go down to Sheol alive; 

for evil is in their dwelling place and in their heart. 

16  But I call to God, 

and the Lord will save me. 

17  Evening and morning and at noon 

I utter my complaint and moan, 

and he hears my voice. 

18  He redeems my soul in safety 

from the battle that I wage, 

for many are arrayed against me. 

19  God will give ear and humble them, 

he who is enthroned from of old, Selah 

because they do not change 

and do not fear God. 

20  My companion stretched out his hand against his friends; 

he violated his covenant. 

21  His speech was smooth as butter, 

yet war was in his heart; 

his words were softer than oil, 

yet they were drawn swords. 

22  Cast your burden on the Lord, 

and he will sustain you; 

he will never permit 

the righteous to be moved. 

23  But you, O God, will cast them down 

into the pit of destruction; 

men of blood and treachery 

shall not live out half their days. 

But I will trust in you. 

David has not only experienced physical battles, but also the inner turmoil of the soul. This psalm explains a situation where he was emotionally and mentally strained by the betrayal of, ‘my equal, my companion, my familiar friend’. David was battling with the pain and despair of a broken relationship and the disappointment, chaos, life change and mental strife that this caused. Have you ever experienced such heartache and mental anguish? 

Most of us have. The thing is, this battle that we face is not usually obvious because it’s predominantly internal. Our emotions and mind replay events, conversations and memories, and these can lead to; confusion, anger and sadness all raging inside. It is a furious internal war, yet not many others would be aware of it. In a physical war it is obvious - you see the damage and physical discomfort, but an internal battle is often hidden even though there is also extensive damage and pain. The internal battles that we face are tougher and more wearing than any external ones and we cannot escape them. 

David says, ‘I am restless in my complaint and I moan, 3  because of the noise of the enemy, because of the oppression of the wicked.’ He hears the sound of the disappointment, the grief and pain, the ‘noise of the enemy’ clanging around inside him as the memories and recent events replay. The noise of the internal processing of the betrayal and the personal turmoil that has been caused is louder than any trumpet blast or roar of a crowd. David doesn’t deny it or downplay it, instead he admits the difficulty he is having trying to get his head round what has happened. You don’t have to try to explain, minimise or hide from the internal anguish you suffer either. The internal battles are difficult as they are often unknown to others and rage constantly, day and night, with no rest. David was experiencing this as he wrote Psalm 55. He accepts that he is; restless, oppressed, in trouble, feeling terrified and in anguish. If you feel that way today, or have ever felt like that, know that it is ok. It is alright to feel disappointed, hurt, afraid at times, restless and concerned, and it is ok to admit it too. Even as a person of God, even as a friend, parent, manager or colleague, it is ok. It is usual for people to suffer with their thoughts, you are not alone. David was troubled with a hurt heart and mental anguish and he was a loved and respected king, father, husband and a faithful man of God. Yet here we are thousands of years later reading about and relating to his internal pain. He was not ashamed to admit how frustrated, disappointed and upset he was about things. He was open and honest about it. He told God exactly what was going on for him, how he felt, how troubled he was, and that he expected God to do something about it! 

You see, although David knew he was suffering, he did not choose to dwell in the despair and disappointment. He did not want to stay feeling like this, and he knew where his help and comfort would come from. He had a strong, personal relationship with Almighty God, so he told God about what was going on in his life. He let God know how he felt, even the worst bits such as wishing his enemy dead and wanting to permanently escape (v7 and 15). David was not ashamed to be really honest about his emotions, even admitting when he was in deep despair and inner turmoil. Are you that honest? With yourself and with God?

I cannot imagine that this psalm was spoken clearly and calmly, can you? I imagine it to have been a passionate outpouring of tears, anger and sobs, releasing some of the hurt and disappointment as the words spilled out. David was overwhelmed, hurt and disappointed as he goes to the God - the One he can trust with it all, and the One that can help, strengthen and comfort. David admits he wants to escape this torment, yet he knows that even going to a different place will not change the internal discomfort. For it is his heart that ‘is in anguish’ and no matter where he goes he cannot escape his own heart or memories, so he knows he has to deal with it. Therefore, David’s response is to ‘call to God’. No-one else can help him, restore his soul, bind up his broken heart or breakthrough this trouble. So he goes to the One he knows can influence any and every heart and situation for, ‘the Lord will save me’. David knows that although he feels overcome and like he wants to get away from it all, God, ‘redeems my soul in safety from the battle that I wage’. Both the physical and internal battles God can help with. He is the one who can inspire, strengthen and give your soul refuge (v1). He is the one that can bring you; relief, provision, strength and redemption. Are you allowing God to it? 

Do you go to God with your struggles? Are you really real about how you are doing when you speak to Him?

When you feel overwhelmed and overcome by circumstances and experience internal strife, you can, ‘cast your burden on the Lord and he will sustain you’. Yet God can only help you as much as you let Him. David wanted God’s help in every area of his life, even the messy bits. Are you allowing God to see and have influence in every area of your life? Will you allow Him to see and heal the internal anguish? God will hear and help you if you go to Him, then like David you too will be able to say, ‘in you my soul takes refuge’.

Take Care

‘Take care, brothers’ 
(Hebrews 3:12)

Are you taking care of yourself?

Are you purposefully looking after, not just the state of your body, but also that of your mind, heart and soul? We can get focused on being healthy meaning to make sure our body is in good condition, but our wellbeing is much more than that. Are you actively looking after yourself, and guarding against what can make you unhealthy?

Are you ensuring your mind is healthy by checking your thoughts? Are you mindful of the media you are exposing yourself to, and are you taking your stray thoughts captive when they descend into chaos, depression or depravity?

What about your heart health?
Do you allow emotions to dictate your actions? Are you giving time to things that give you peace and contentment, or is your heart filled with pain and frustration?

Then, how about your soul?
How is your standing before God right now?
Are you forgiving as Christ forgives?
Are you free from sin?
Are you making an effort with your relationship with God and other believers?

Hebrews 3:12 instructs us to ‘take care,’ so, are you taking good care of yourself as a brother or sister in Christ?  Today, take time to check the healthiness of your heart, mind and soul. Ask God to reveal what it is you need to start or stop doing, then be brave and the change. It may be difficult, but the end result will be a healthier state of wellbeing for yourself, a renewed reassurance of your standing with God, and an uplifted spirit.