May the mumbling commence!
What do you remember with the most fondness when times are tough? It is that question that the psalmist answers in Psalm forty-two:
When I remember these things,
I pour out my soul within me.
For I used to go with the multitude;
I went with them to the house of God,
With the voice of joy and praise,
With a multitude that kept a pilgrim feast.
Why are you cast down, O my soul?
And why are you disquieted within me?
Hope in God, for I shall yet praise Him
For the help of His countenance. (Verses 4-5)
Depression is a tough nut to crack. To be depressed is to understand all too well what it means to have a downcast soul. To be depressed is to know the disquieting of the soul. So, in cases like these, what are we to do?
We are to remember. What are we to remember? We shall remember how we went down to the house of God with the multitude of our brothers and sisters in Christ. We shall remember how we sang songs of joyful praise.
Just think about all those Christmastime hymns that we love so much – “Joy to the World”, “O Come All Ye Faithful”, “Angels We Have Heard on High”, “Silent Night”, and many, many more. Remember that joy. Tap into that joyous time in life. It will help us carry on in dark times. Many prisoners of war remember Sunday school lessons and songs that helped to sustain them spiritually.
In the midst of remembrance, we also shall embrace our feelings. Embrace your feelings of sorrow and depression. Do not try to hide them.
But, if we embrace these feelings, what shall we do then? Give them over to the Lord. Show in a tangible way that God is your only hope. Praise the Lord. Go to your Creator for help. You will find no truer help anywhere else.
In other words, hold your peace. Trust God to take care of you. Read from Proverbs chapter eleven:
He who is devoid of wisdom despises his neighbor,
But a man of understanding holds his peace. (Verse 12)
May we ever find our wisdom and understanding from on high.
Enough mumbling for now…
Peace Out
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