Psalm 42:5, 8

“Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise Him, my Savior and my God. By day the LORD directs His love, at night His song is with me a prayer to the God of my life.”

Have you ever had the blue funks, the down days, the blahs? Remember that old lament, “Nobody loves me everybody hates me, I’m going to eat some angle worms. Down goes a fat one, down goes a skinny one. Oh, how they wiggle when they squirm?” Boy! That is one from way back in my boyhood days! Aren’t you glad that I share such spiritually profound gems with you?

Psalm 42 is credited to the Sons of Korah. The Sons of Korah member who wrote this particular Psalm, seems to have been depressed when he wrote it. It is interesting that there is a conversation here with his soul. It is a picture of a person who is talking to himself. Have you ever done that?

I once heard that it is permissible to talk to yourself. That’s right—you can talk to yourself all you want. The problem arises when you answer yourself and then the conversation turns into an argument! If and when this happens — you’re in trouble! Here is an important principle that I learned long ago: When someone is depressed, the last thing you want to tell them is,”Cheer up!” That is a good way for you to find yourself on the receiving end of a tirade!

In today’s Scripture the Psalmist is not simply moaning and whining about his emotional state, he proceeds to give his condition over to the Lord. Listen to the Lord’s song to bring you out of the pit of despair.

Blessings dear hearts. Walk with God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing.

—Pastor Cecil