Speaking To Yourself

Speaking To YourselfReader: Jon WatsonDate: 1st November 2022Passage: Psalm 42:5-------------------We laugh at someone speaking to themselves. A sure sign of old age or worse we say! Actually it is a good practice — as long as you do it when nobody is around! The writer of this psalm had to take himself in hand when he became depressed. He tells us of a longing for a sense of God's presence, of his broken heart and his loneliness because of his lack of fellowship with God's people. He is really downcast. And then he takes himself in hand. It is a if we said, "I'm so miserable because I can't go to church and worship God there." And then we realise that God is right here beside us. "Why am I so upset?"We may well have hard times in our Christian lives when we feel down. God seems far away from us. "Troubles have come again and again, sounding like waterfalls." (v7, NCB) "My enemies' insults make me feel as if my bones were broken." Depression, spiritual depression can really make us feel down in the depths.But then the writer takes himself in hand again "Why am I so sad? The Lord shows his true love every day. I should put my hope in God." He repeats this over and over. He tells himself to sing God's praises and come to God with prayer when he can't sleep. God is never far away. We too should remember that. Let's speak to ourselves when we feel down.PrayerDear Lord, help me to take all my questions to you and to remember all the wonder of your love for me. Amen