When the struggles of life become greater than our expectations, we begin to wonder if God has forgotten us. We cry out to God in our distress, but he seems so far away. We cry louder and longer, but there’s no response from God. He must be asleep! This is what the Psalmist felt. 

Now, is this even possible? I thought God “will neither slumber nor sleep” (Psalm 121:4). This was God’s promise to the Israelites, showing how he will diligently care for his people. 

    The Bible is clear, that God doesn’t sleep. God is Spirit and dwells outside the physical realm and does not need physical rest as we do. Only those who have bodies need rest. When God came down and dwelt among us as a human, he needed rest. But God as the divine being doesn’t sleep, nor does he need rest. 

    Yet when God doesn’t respond or when he doesn’t act according to our timeframe, we wonder if he is asleep; we wonder if he cares. Otherwise, he would have responded when we first cried out to him. 

The psalmist said:

“Awake! Why are you sleeping, O Lord? Rouse yourself! Do not reject us forever! Why do you hide your face? Why do you forget our affliction and oppression? For our soul is bowed down to the dust; our belly clings to the ground. Rise up; come to our help! Redeem us for the sake of your steadfast love! (Psa 44:22-26)

    God views our life from an entirely different timeframe. We see our lives from our day-to-day experiences. All we see is turmoil and agony. But God sees a broader timeframe and has no fear of the daily fluctuations. He is confident he can bring us through victoriously. He has already seen our lives from beginning to end. 

    As we struggle with our limited perspectives, let’s hold on to God. He has promised to bring us through victoriously. He has the broader timeframe of our entire lives and he is faithful to accomplish all that he promised. 

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The power of words. Who would have imagined? Words have the power to “pluck up and to break down, to destroy and to overthrow, to build and to plant.” (Jer 1:10) This reality began with creation, where words spoken by God brought the world into existence. Now his words continue to create through our words. 

The prophet Jeremiah didn’t think that he was up to the task of speaking God’s words. In modern times, we have reduced the power of words to simply “speeches” of eloquent verbosity. But God’s plan was that our words should tear down, repair, restore, and build that which God wants to do here on this earth through us – through our words. 

But making this concept personal is not always easy because our situation is quite real to us. The pain is raw. The agony is intense, and It’s difficult to speak with faith. But God wants us to be his voice. Not only in society but also in our personal lives. He wants to speak words of faith into our lives. 

Maybe like me, you don’t have much faith. You may feel insignificant like Jeremiah. You might even be fearful like him, but all of these things really don’t matter. 

As your creator, God is more interested in your success than you or others. Even as Jeremiah objected, God takes the initiative to touch his mouth and to put God’s words into his mouth. God didn’t walk away because of Jeremiah’s lack of faith and boldness. 

But even before touching his mouth, God told him: “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you.” You see, speaking God’s words was really not a choice. It was something placed on Jeremiah from before his birth. 

Your words clearly have power. They have the power to bring God’s purpose into reality in your life and community. Will you step up and speak God’s words to tear down what is displeasing to God in your own life? Then speak words of faith that will build you up into the person God has always wanted you to be. 

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When things go out of control, your situation may seem hopeless. As you dwell on the situation, your perception may gradually degenerate. Your feeling of hopelessness may go even deeper. 

But in the midst of our hopelessness, even when we see no solution, God is our solution. The psalmist experienced lots of turmoil and heartache, but he held on to God as his hope. His words show the depth of his trust in God. 

“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 and my God.” (Psalm 43:5)

First, he questions his emotional condition. He doesn’t ignore the physical reality but simply recognizes it for what it is. But he clearly questions his response. “Why are you cast down?” and “Why are you in turmoil?” These are the two questions he asks himself. Both are meant to evaluate his emotions. 

Second, he refocuses his emotions. He tells himself to hope in God. The words have the force of a command: “Hope in God.” When his soul was “cast down,” he told it to hope in God. His emotions were in turmoil, but he redirects it to hope in God. 

Third, there is a clear reason for “commanding” himself to refocus and hope in God. He recognizes God as his salvation. He has a history with God as his savior, the one who has rescued him from his troubles. 

In the midst of his troubles, it sure seemed like God wasn’t with him, or that God wasn’t for him. But he quickly reassures himself with hope in God as his only source of salvation. 

Wow! What a reality. How often have I looked at my circumstances instead of God who is my salvation? It’s time for some better self-talk for myself. “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 and God.” (Psalm 43:5) 

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When you are in real and immediate danger, fear is inevitable. Not only is fear a real part of our experience, but we can also easily be controlled by fear. But as a child of God, we are to be in control, not fear. 

As the Israelites were about to enter their promised land, they were filled with fear. This entire generation grew up in the wilderness and never learned war. Everything was new and fear of the unknown can have a paralyzing effect. 

Joshua was appointed as the leader, but he also was in the same predicament as the rest of the people. He was not trained for war and was in no way capable of leading in the situation. 

Yet he was instructed to “Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the Lord your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you” (Deuteronomy 31:6).

In this instruction, I see a threefold pattern. There is a view of yourself, others, and God. We often look at ourselves and others but fail to look at God. But even the way we look at God is certainly skewed. 

First, we’re to see ourselves apart from how we feel. Take the stance of someone who overcomes. Even before entering the conflict, learn to be strong and courageous. 

Second, learn to take a predetermined stance of fearlessness. Dread and fear often arise in the midst of conflict. Yet even before the situation, set your mind on fearlessness. It’s more of a mental state rather than a physical reality. 

Third, accept God’s promise of presence as a reality. That promise was evident in the garden of Edan when Adam and Eve sinned. Later, it was repeated by Jesus to his disciples as he gave them the great commission. 

These three steps will keep us from being controlled by our emotions. Emotions are real, but they don’t need to control us. Situations can be dangerous, but they don’t need to have the upper hand. Stay in control because God is with you. 

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We’ve all heard this statement: “It’s sad, but why does such tragedy happen to such good people?” Surely, no one would speak against this statement. 

Job was a man about whom God himself bragged on. God said, have you considered my servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man who fears God and turns away from evil?” (Job 1:8) Now, what better endorsement can one get? 

But when bad things happen to such people, there are several common assumptions. Each has its own reasonings but doesn’t provide a comprehensive answer. Job’s friends were quite forceful in asserting his guilt. 

The most common accusation is that Job had numerous hidden sins that have finally caught up. They assumed that Job was hiding his true self and that all his sins were hidden from public view. 

Then their accusations continued. They said his children must have sinned so bad that God had to kill them all. In the midst of Job’s losses, such words must have been horrible. 

The list of accusations can continue endlessly, but the question remains. “Why do the righteous suffer?” An answer hasn’t been given to us, but we know that it happens. This world is just a broken place and we are broken people. We need to acknowledge the brokenness of this world we live in. 

We also need to understand that just because something bad happens to people, that doesn’t mean that God is angry at us. It doesn’t imply that we are guilty of something terrible, or that we are a bad person. It just means we’re living in a world full of pain. 

We need to cling to God as our source of strength. We’ve got to accept others as they are with all their pain and brokenness. No judgment, or finger-pointing, but with acceptance. 

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“Blessed is the one who considers the poor.” Some translations use the word “weak” instead of “poor.” This reminds me of Jesus’ words “poor in spirit.” (Matthew 5:3)

Quite often, people are so busy with their own matters that they don’t have the time or energy to “consider” anyone else but themselves. Such people are not necessarily selfish. They’re just self-focused (like me?).

But why are the poor in that condition? Many causes are suggested for such a condition. One popular idea is that the poor are poor because others have exploited them and have gained wealth from the poor. Some are poor because of some misfortune in their lives. Others are like that because of some brokenness they’ve experienced emotionally, mentally, or socially. Still, others may have been handed down such a mindset of lack that their thinking pattern is framed with lack. Then there are those who are in this situation because of wrong choices they’ve made in life.

Whatever the reasons, God is concerned. He cares about their situation. God has a special place in his heart for the poor. And when we respond to the concerns that are in his heart, he responds to us as well.

“Blessed is the one who considers the poor! In the day of trouble the Lord delivers him.” (Psalm 41:1)

In the day of trouble – when no one is there to uphold you when no one cares about you, and when no one even recognizes you, God will respond. He will deliver you. He will sustain you with his strong arm.

So considering the poor is an investment into your future as well. We don’t know all the difficulties that may come our way. There may be sickness, financial trouble, opposition, or a host of other difficulties, but you will have God as your backup.

Consider the poor. Back them up by giving, protecting, caring, and encouraging them. It will be a great investment into your future.

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Ever have sleepless nights thinking of what you need to face during the next day? People often fear the night, but sometimes, your day might just be more fearful than the night. The turmoil you feel within may be unexplainable and without any solutions.
The psalmist said, “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 and my God (Ps 42:5).

I see three significant factors in this verse that are important for us to look out for. First, there is a recognition of his inner condition. Second, his reliance is on God alone. Third, he responded in praise. 

Recognition

The psalmist spoke directly to himself “why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me?” If you’re not able to recognize that you are in despair, you could end up continuing down an emotional spiral. In effect, you’ll be clueless regarding the reality that you’re in. And if you don’t know you need help, you won’t seek out help. Then of course, you’ll continue to live in turmoil and ultimately get into such a rut that it becomes next to impossible to get out. 

Reliance

It was a brief and powerful statement that the psalmist spoke to himself: “Hope in God.” It sounds too much like a cliché, but it is a simple and profound reality. All other sources of hope are temporary and feeble. God is your only source that is sustainable through life and beyond. 

Praise

In the midst of his turmoil, the psalmist says “for I shall again praise him, my salvation and my God.” He recognized his pitiful condition, acknowledged his reliance on God, and responds in praise as he looks to the future. He’s confident that He’ll get through. He goes from despair to praise as he puts his hope in God. 

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Read this post on Medium: https://alexigeorge.medium.com/balancing-hope-and-despair-from-despair-to-hope-to-praise-fa84f04cf304

Ever wished someone would stand up for you and speak on your behalf? What about those things in life that are too much to bear? Some things are just too overwhelming. This is especially true for leaders, but everyone has such experiences. You just don’t measure up to the expectations of others. Life is just too much to handle. But no one would take that risk to stand up for you. Who would care enough for you to risk their reputation, status or life for someone like you? Of course, we know that Jesus took that extreme risk for us. But I am reminded of another example. 

I’ve heard of missionaries who traveled to distant lands with their belongings packed in a casket! At first I was appalled and surprised. But these were people with such a firm commitment that they were sure that they would spend their entire lives in that land. They could think of nothing else. 

But the casket also implied that they were willing to give their lives for the cause they came for. It wasn’t just a “project” among other projects. Or a short term assignment that they were to fulfill. They weren’t just giving up a part of their time, they were giving their lives entirely. There was no turning around. 

On that first Christmas, Jesus came. He didn’t bring a casket, but there was no turning around for him. Once he was born as a human, he had to live his life as a human. He had to face everything that life as a human would present. He experienced sorrow, rejection, pain, loneliness, and all those difficult emotions that we hate so much. 

I suppose that he could have just sent a representative. Or, he could show an image of himself to people. And during the time he was “visible,” he could share his message. In this way he would only be here long enough to communicate that message. It would be a low-risk approach. 

But he chose to be born as a human. This was the only way he could know human life. He had to experience everything that we humans face each day. In this way, he became the perfect mediator between us and God. Thus it continues to be a Merry Christmas!

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Limited supply and limited room are often hindrances that we are familiar with. But in the Kingdom of God, he has thrown open the doors for all who would want to enjoy the benefits of the Kingdom.

God says “come, enjoy, and dine with me.” To dine together implies more than an acquaintance. There is friendship, relationship, and in some instances, a deep sense of intimacy. 

Jesus told the story of the man who invited guests to his banquet. Those who were invited gave excuses and refused to come. Then the master sent his servant to invite those who were needy and in distress. But even then, there was still more room left. “And the servant said, ‘Sir, what you commanded has been done, and still there is room.’” (Luke 14:22). The Jewish people of Jesus’ day had conveniently compartmentalized their relationships to keep the poor away. With this story, Jesus has effectively thrown down the gaps and walls that separated them. 

Then, the master instructed the servant to “compel” them. The idea was not to force or coerce them. They just needed to be convinced of their welcome. They could not believe that this master would really welcome them. 

In a society where there is such a divide, the people on the “lower” end would find it hard to trust the rich and wealthy. They’ve been the symbols of oppression, domination, and control for generations. 

So when this wealthy man gives an invitation, those who are poor and downtrodden may doubt the genuineness of the invitation. So this man has to “compel” the people to come. 

But it’s important to note that those who gave excuses were not compelled. They were simply ignored. They were bypassed. Thus the phrase “for many are called, but few are chosen.” (Matthew 22:14) The invitation may be for everyone, but the response will not be the same for everyone. 

When the poor were invited, not everyone came. We know this because the servant said “still there is room.” So the master wanted to compel them. Those people couldn’t believe the master would invite them to dine with him.

Still there is room. Compel them. 

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