Why are you cast down, O my soul?

  From the book Prayers of the Bible: 366 Devotionals to Encourage Your Prayer Life by Gordon Keddie. April 23rd reflection: "Hope for the Dejected Soul: A Prayer for joyous fellowship with God."

Psalm 43:5

"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."

Keddie's thoughts:

The transparent honesty of Scripture in recording the sins of real saints and their experiences of self-doubt and dejection is a testimony to both the stresses of the human condition and the reality of the gospel of saving grace. It is therefore a wonderful encouragement to the flagging spirit of believers battered by adversities of one kind or another. "It has pleased God to suffer many of his most eminent servants to be in trouble," writes Charles Simeon, "and to record their experience for our benefit, that we, when in similar circumstances, may know that we are not walking in an untrodden path, and that we may see how to conduct ourselves aright... We may "hope in God" precisely because it is God who sends our troubles ("they spring not out of the dust [Job 5:6]) and he only can remove them."

Candy's thoughts:

These words are a wonderful gift from God to me on this day, my son Sam's birthday. For those not intimately aware of my story, Sam died 10 years ago at age 22 by suicide resulting from a depression for which he was being treated, but the medicines which were aimed at curing him, ultimately had the opposite effect.  Charles Simeon's words are a great encouragement in shepherding us to remember the right perspective of hoping in God when doubt and despair threaten to undo us. O how I long for the time when God will wipe away every tear from our eyes, "and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away” [Rev 21:4]. Come soon, Lord Jesus!