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

Dealing with hypocrisy

 Psalm 41:1–13 (ESV):  

1 Blessed is the one who considers the poor! 

In the day of trouble the Lord delivers him; 

2  the Lord protects him and keeps him alive; 

he is called blessed in the land; 

you do not give him up to the will of his enemies. 

3  The Lord sustains him on his sickbed; 

in his illness you restore him to full health. 

4  As for me, I said, “O Lord, be gracious to me; 

heal me, for I have sinned against you!” 

5  My enemies say of me in malice, 

“When will he die, and his name perish?” 

6  And when one comes to see me, he utters empty words, 

while his heart gathers iniquity; 

when he goes out, he tells it abroad. 

7  All who hate me whisper together about me; 

they imagine the worst for me. 

8  They say, “A deadly thing is poured out on him; 

he will not rise again from where he lies.” 

9  Even my close friend in whom I trusted, 

who ate my bread, has lifted his heel against me. 

10  But you, O Lord, be gracious to me, 

and raise me up, that I may repay them! 

11  By this I know that you delight in me: 

my enemy will not shout in triumph over me. 

12  But you have upheld me because of my integrity, 

and set me in your presence forever. 

13  Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, 

from everlasting to everlasting! 

Amen and Amen. 

In these verses we see how David starts generically talking about how God blesses, ‘the one who considers the poor’. He then applies this to his life and realises that considering those that have less or are weaker than yourself somehow leads to God’s blessing. Showing mercy, being courteous, kind and demonstrating compassion to those who need it means that in some way you earn God’s favour. If you do it with the right motives of course, as God sees the heart and intention of your actions. 

David then considers how this relates to his present position. He recognises that although he is very ill, yet, ‘The Lord sustains him’. Not only that, but he is aware that God is also; restoring him, has given him favour throughout his country, has not given up on him or given him over to his enemies. David acknowledges that despite the current pain and suffering, he is still blessed! God is still showing favour to him and David puts this down to the fact that he has shown kindness and compassion to those who are poor and needy, and has done his best to be a man of integrity living his life following God. David considers himself blessed even at this time when he is significantly ill and repentant. He is waiting for, yet assured of, the fact that God will restore him both physically and spiritually, because although he knows he is not perfect, he has lived his life doing his best to honour God and consider others. 

This season was not easy for David. Although he was assured of God’s blessing and mercy, he still had to endure the discomfort physically, spiritually and emotionally. It still hurt, he still suffered. David tells us that there are people that are visiting him that are awaiting his death and spreading news of his demise. Those that should have shown concern for his current illness are actually gathering to see if it will finish him off and then spreading rumours of his decline. Yet David knew that he was being healed and restored. Therefore there must have been signs of improvement but these people chose not to see it and certainly did not want it. These people, even close friends, went to see him pretending to have concern and compassion, but instead of trying to help or hope for his recovery they spread false rumours that, ‘he will not rise again’. These people weren’t just any visitors either for they have intimate access to the king. So they must have been trusted advisers, friends, courtiers, influential people in David’s realm. Not everyone would have access to the chambers of the king especially when he was weak, only significant people in the king's life would have the permission to see him. Yet these people abused their privilege and showed their real character through this time of David’s suffering. They revealed that they are not friends or trusted counsellors but enemies instead of caring for David and showing concern for his decline they revelled in it. What a heartbreaking situation to find yourself in. When those you care about, trust, love and have built life with, root for your destruction. Not only was David dealing with repentance, blessing and illness, he also had to deal with the emotional upheaval of changing relationships. They thought he would be able to do nothing about their altered attitudes as they waited expectantly for his death. Yet he knew their thoughts and actions and was given confidence that, ‘my enemy will not shout in triumph over me’. God must have shown David that his recovery was coming as he knew he was not as unwell as others desired. He was certain that God was upholding him because of his integrity, due to his behaviour towards God and others so he was assured that this season would result in full health and restoration and the blessing of God.

Times of trouble can reveal who is really for you and who is not. David began to recognise that some people were hypocritical and had transformed themselves from close counsellors into enemies. Yet he did not do anything about it whilst he was unwell. He waited. He did not throw them out or prevent them from coming to see him. Maybe he was waiting to gather further evidence to see if his concerns were validated. He did not react out of fear or anger, but knew that God would deal with them and that he would have an opportunity to, ‘repay them’. He had a God-given assurance that in good time, all would be made right. Even though experiencing hypocrisy is infuriating, it does not always need calling out and confronting straight away. Allow yourself time to consider the circumstances, the person and talk to God about it like David did. It will be frustrating, feel powerless and painful, but God will show you how to deal with such people. Their comeuppance is coming, you need to ensure that you continue to live with integrity and maintain your own good conduct and character. David was determined to do this - to maintain his right standing before God, to not respond until he was fully recovered and to allow God to influence how to deal with these deceitful people. So if you find yourself having to deal with a similar situation, do not rush to react or let your emotions get out of hand. Instead trust that God will reveal truth and restore you. He will not allow the enemies of His dedicated followers prevail. He didn’t allow that for David, and He won’t allow that for you. So, keep; praying, waiting and trusting that God sees and knows all. He will sustain and restore you too. So, when you suffer, when you have times of trial, when people disappoint and come against you - keep mindful about what God is doing, who He is and what you can expect of Him. Consider your relationship with Him and your behaviour towards others. David was confident that he would be restored and his name and integrity upheld. God will do the same for you as you continue to walk with Him, lead a life of integrity and care for the poor. Ensure that you live a life that allows you with full confidence to say along with David that God has, 'upheld me because of my integrity, and set me in your presence forever.

Provision

 What else do we learn about God in this very first chapter of the Bible? We have already seen that God is creator, He is satisfied, He works, and He desires to reproduce , now in verse 30, we see that not only is God interested in making and making more, but he is also the sustainer of all things; 

‘ God said, “Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is on the face of all the earth, and every tree with seed in its fruit. You shall have them for food.’

God made all the creatures and then our very selves but He didn’t just stop there. After that He gave his creation means for survival and enjoyment - He made a whole host of food for us all to enjoy. God has ensured that the world He created could be sustained. He provided within creation the means to continue. 

There’s incredible generosity and lavishness in this provision too -  there’s not just one type of sustenance, but many - every tree with seed in it’s fruit, a choice, an abundance to enjoy. What kindness and love is shown in that provision. 

We can take food as a necessity, as something that is an essential (which it is)  and that we take for granted, have you really taken time to consider the true source of your meals? The One and only Living God that has lovingly and lavishly given you so much choice in order for you to not only nourish, but enjoy nourishing your body? 

God has provided your food, what else has He provided for you?

If you’re in a season of life where you’re needing provision  of some kind, and wondering when or where it’s coming from - take a look around and see what He has already given you. He wants to sustain you, He has provided in an incredibly generous way already, remember that, then pray with expectation that His lavish love will continue to provide for you - God sustains His creation.