Hurting Hearts and Struggling Souls - Part 9

God can help troubled emotions by answering prayer and by reminding the believer of faith-sustaining truth found in His Word. Emotions can also be improved through various aspects of one's relationship with God.

First, improvement comes through enjoying God's presence. Believers can experience joy as they commune, fellowship, and walk with God. "You will make him joyful with gladness in Your presence" (21:6).

There is a satisfaction of soul that comes in the presence of God. David declared, "How blessed is the one whom You choose and bring near to You to dwell in Your courts. We will be satisfied with the goodness of Your house, Your holy temple" (65:4). There is satisfaction first as God chooses people and brings them near to Himself. Through salvation, God receives people into His family and allows them to dwell in constant communion with Him. There is satisfaction in remembering the specialness of that intimate relationship. Second, the verse specifically references God's courts and His temple. There is something satisfying in being in the special place that God has chosen for focused communion with Him in the company of other believers. The setting and activities associated with the church bring a satisfaction to the soul that cannot be found in other settings and activities.

David again received joy from God's presence. "Therefore my heart is glad" (16:9). "In Your presence is fullness of joy" (16:11). Some around David had abandoned God or were taking Him lightly, but David did neither. Instead, he deliberately chose to follow God and to value the blessings of God. He deliberately thought about God, with particular focus on God's constant presence. David's joy and gladness came from knowing "I have set the Lord continually before me; because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken" (16:8). He knew that God's presence would never change, but would continue with him through all of life. The earth-experienced joy of God's presence will only increase when that presence is fully enjoyed in heaven.

Second, emotional benefit comes from a consistent focus on God. David states, "He will give you the desires of your heart" (37:4). The heart's gratification comes not through a focus on self or from insisting on personal desires. It is not based on wanting what other people have, in particular the wicked who seem to prosper. Such prosperity is fleeting and quickly disappears. There are far more important and lasting desires that are connected to wanting what God wants. David lists several God-focused heart desires: Trust in the Lord, do good, stay where God has put you, be faithful, delight in God, commit your way to Him, trust in Him, rest in the Lord, wait patiently for Him, don't fret, don't be angry. Each of these actions are what God wants His children to do. Instead of sitting around making a list of selfish things they want, Christians ought to maintain a God-ward focus. When they do, God responds by giving the desires of the heart and accomplishing what is needed. The heart gratification accompanies an entire focus of living that wants what God wants and wants to please and trust Him.

Psalm 112 refers to a man whose heart is steady and firm. "His heart is steadfast, trusting in the LORD" (112:7). "His heart is upheld" (112:8). The key to the steadfast and upheld heart is found in the psalm's theme statement: "How blessed is the man who fears the LORD, who greatly delights in His commandments" (112:1). The psalm gives an entire list of blessings that such a man experiences; one blessing is a stable heart. The passage contrasts stability with fear. Because the man's heart is steadfast and upheld, he does not fear, even when evil threatens. Three characteristics of this type of man are credited with facilitating the numerous listed blessings. First, he fears the LORD. He reverences God, stands in awe of Him, honors Him, and respects Him. Second, he greatly delights in God's commandments. He takes exceeding pleasure in them and is pleased to do them. Third, he trusts in the LORD. He has confidence in God's ability to take care of him. A man who has dedicated his life to living for God and depending on God will have a heart that does not fear.

A third emotionally beneficial aspect of one's relationship with God is praise. "My lips will shout for joy when I sing praises to You; and my soul, which You have redeemed" (71:23). The verb phrase from the beginning of the verse, "will shout for joy," is understood to apply to the subject "my soul" just as it does previously for "my lips." What makes this man's soul shout for joy is the same as what makes his lips shout for you: "when I sing praises to You." Singing praises is often the result of joy, but it can also be the producer of joy. At the very least, the two things happen at the same time; they go together. Interestingly, in this psalm the speaker is not naturally in a time of joy. He is in affliction and is still awaiting deliverance. The man is mature, however, in both years and in development. He has been through many hard times in the past; he knows God has always delivered him, and he has praised God. He is in another hard time, and he knows that God will deliver him again, and he intends to once again praise God. Even without seeing the deliverance, he is intent on praising God for the help he knows will come. Both his actual and his intended praise bring joy to his soul.

In concluding this series, I note that emotions are quite changeable and are influenced by many factors. Clearly, God can change emotions for the good, and spiritual input can influence emotion. Even when biological or unavoidable factors contribute to troubling emotions, God's help can make emotions manageable.

Hurting Hearts and Struggling Souls - Part 8

The Bible helps with troubling emotions by revealing truth about God. As the Christian focuses on that truth, his faith and trust in God grow, producing stability and strength. "My heart trusts in Him, and I am helped; therefore my heart exults" (28:7). The opening verses of this passage include six requests, three statements that David is praying, three appeals for God to hear, one consequence of God not answering, one expected result, and one statement that God has heard. This focused prayer is possible because David remembers that God is his "strength," "shield," "saving defense," and "shepherd." David's emotional help came because his heart trusted expectantly in the God who is all these things.

"Let your heart take courage" (31:24). The command is to "all you who hope in the LORD." Courage of heart is possible to those who expectantly wait on God. It comes from confidence and trust in God. Such confidence is reasonable because God is "a rock of strength," "a stronghold," "a fortress," and "my strength." The psalm tells of God's deliverance and protection and expresses confidence in God's help. "But as for me, I trust in You, O LORD, I say, 'You are my God'" (31:14). Those who likewise remember God's goodness, lovingkindness, and past answered prayer can have courage as they hope in God.

"My soul takes refuge in You" (57:1). David sought God as his refuge, a place to flee for protection, a source of confident trust. Such trust does not exist unless the struggling person knows that the trusted person is equal to the task. David remembered truths about God that legitimized his trust. God is "gracious," "Most High," "accomplishes all things" for him, and shows "His lovingkindness and His truth." David described the trap laid for him but knew that his Refuge was greater than the opposition.

"Let your heart take courage" (27:14). When things seemed hopeless, David gave the challenge of clinging to the truth of God's goodness. To "take courage" is to fasten upon; the courage is not internal, but is based on something outside oneself. When one clings tenaciously to God and maintains faith in His goodness in spite of circumstances, his heart is strengthened.

"You have put gladness in my heart" (4:7). This heart level of gladness is deeper than what is given by ordinary earthly pleasures, because it comes from God. It is based on confidence in God from a man who has called to God and has seen His answers. David prays to God again, knowing God will hear him again. Because David has Someone greater on his side, he can proceed with life, doing what he ought to do and continuing to serve God. He quiets himself, trusting God instead of doubting; his gladness comes from deliberately resting in a God he knows he can trust.

"You who seek God, let your heart revive" (69:32). David writes this psalm as a man whose heart desperately needs to be revived. His words are heavy with negative descriptions: "threatened," "deep mire," "no foothold," "deep waters," "flood overflows," "weary with my crying," "those who hate me," "would destroy me," "reproach," "dishonor," "estranged," "an alien," "wept in my soul," "sackcloth," "I am the song of drunkards," "swallow me," "pit," "distress," "shame," "broken my heart," "so sick," no sympathy, no comforters, "gall for my food," "afflicted," and "in pain." While written to others, his challenge, "let your heart revive," clearly includes himself. David wants and expects his heart to be nourished, quickened, and restored. He even gives a reason why it should. "For the LORD hears the needy and does not despise His who are prisoners" (69:33). David has called on God to save and see and answer and deliver. He asks God not to hide His face, but to draw near and redeem him. David is so confident God will answer that he already plans to praise God.

"I have composed and quieted my soul" (131:2). In this situation David had a noisy, agitated soul. He took deliberate action to change his soul - composing (making smooth and still) and quieting it (making silent). Like a small child on his mother's lap, David went from troubled to peaceful. The change came as David humbly recognized there were "great matters" and "things too difficult" for him. He realized there were things that only God can handle. Instead of agitating himself by trying to push beyond his capacity, he decided to leave those hard things with God. Just as the child in his mother's arms trusts her to care for him, David trusted God to solve what was beyond his ability.

"His song will be with me in the night" (42:8). This is a raw, deliberate statement of faith. There is no human reason for the speaker to make this statement. The entire psalm is about thwarted desire, tears, disappointment, being left out, and being constantly mocked by others. He mentions multiple times that his soul is disturbed and in despair. He is mourning and feels like he is being crushed. Everything is negative: failed plans, loneliness, external attacks, and deep internal discouragement. In that situation, the psalmist purposefully chooses to say things that rescue him from sinking even deeper. He tells himself to hope in God. He tells himself that he will have reason to praise God again. He tells himself that God is his help. He tells himself that there will again be days that will see God's lovingkindness, and there will again be nights when God's song will be with him. None of these are reality yet, but this man embraces an anchor. It is not an anchor of a feel-good sentiment, empty platitudes of others, or positive-sounding reassurance; it is an anchor of truth, based in faith. The psalmist might not even be able to imagine how this will be true, but he deliberately anchors himself with the conviction that God will again give him songs in the night.

Hurting Hearts and Struggling Souls - Part 7

During emotional struggles, sometimes great encouragement is found simply in knowing that someone else cares. Various psalms reveal that God cares very much about the hearts of men; His character is filled with love and compassion. "He restores my soul" (23:3). The verse doesn't identify how God restores the soul, but the context is that of gently and carefully meeting every need. As God supplies and guides, one of His concerns is the need of the soul.

"You will strengthen their heart" (10:17). These people needed their hearts strengthened because of vicious attacks by blatantly ungodly men. God responded in part due to His seeing the injustice and in part in response to the prayers of those weak  men who cried out to Him. God has a natural compassion for those who are helpless.

"You have known the troubles of my soul" (31:7). The psalmist says he will rejoice and be glad for two reasons - because God saw his affliction and because God knew his soul's troubles. The knowledge that God knew and cared was enough to bring comfort and joy.

"The LORD is near to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit" (34:18). God has special compassion for those who are hurting. The passage lists people to whom God has responded: a fearful man, a poor (afflicted) man, those in want (physical needs, food), those in affliction, those who take refuge in Him, the righteous, and His servants. A few of those simply identify His followers, but most of them refer to people in need, even desperate need. The brokenhearted and spirit-crushed are the very people that catch God's eye, the people to whom He shows compassion and care, the people to whom He is near and for whom He acts.

A similar passage states, "A father of the fatherless and a judge for the widows, is God is His holy habitation. God makes a home for the lonely; He leads the prisoners into prosperity" (68:5-6). These verses give insight into the kinds of people for whom God especially cares by mentioning four very needy groups: the fatherless, the widows, the lonely, and the prisoners. These people have physical needs, but their needs definitely extend deeper into the realm of heart and soul. God looks at these hurting people with compassion and acts on their behalf, providing what they most need. To the fatherless, He becomes their father, providing love, stability, guidance, and belonging. To the widows, He becomes their judge, an ever-present advocate who alleviates their feelings of helplessness and relieves their fears by making sure they are provided for and treated fairly. To the lonely, He gives a home, a place of acceptance, belonging, love, and care. For the prisoners, He rescues from poverty, dependence, deprivation, isolation, and bondage; He brings them to a place where they can prosper, meet their own needs, and have freedom. God cares about the deepest needs of the most vulnerable people, and He acts to meet those needs with His tender love. Only those who reject Him are left in their self-imposed desperation. "Only the rebellious dwell in a parched land" (68:6), but God meets the heart needs of those who love and follow Him.

"He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds" (147:3). The psalmist speaks of broken and wounded hearts, those that have experienced great sorrow and pain, perhaps feeling beyond recovery. The reason for healing isn't overtly stated, but by implication is God's care. Those who are hurting are important to God, and His loving heart wants to help. The psalm begins, "It is good to sing praises to our God" (147:1); it then records a list of amazing reasons why God deserves praise. He does things of such global significance as building up Jerusalem, gathering outcasts from exile, and bringing down the wicked. He keeps track of every star, provides rain, makes grass grow, provides food for every creature, sends snow and frost and ice, creates powerful cold, and melts the snow. In the midst of all those amazing and important divine acts, God stops to care about those whose hearts are breaking. In the grand scheme, those individual hearts may seem insignificant, but they are important enough to God that He steps in and heals those who are hurting.

"O satisfy us in the morning with Your lovingkindness, that we may sing for joy and be glad all our days" (90:14). God's lovingkindness is capable of producing joy and gladness and of prompting singing. God's lovingkindness is prolifically taught in Scripture; the two greatest characteristics are that it is everlasting and that it is very exalted. God's special demonstrations of lovingkindness bring joy, and purposefully thinking about His lovingkindness can bring gladness at times when it is not directly seen.

God's consolations to the soul are very special. The word is used five times in Scripture. Once it is defined as gently spoken words, designed to bring comfort (Job 15:11). Job said it would be consolation if his friends would listen to him in his trial and let him talk without attacking him (Job 21:2).  Isaiah 66:11 uses the word to describe a baby taking comfort from his mother's breasts as he nurses. In Jeremiah 16:7, it is a drink offered during the bereavement for someone's parents.  Psalm 94:19 states, "Your consolations delight my soul." In a time of multiplied anxious thoughts, they quiet and delight. God's consolations take a situation that is sad or unpleasant and distract away from that negativity. They give comfort as the unpleasant is forgotten, replaced by something pleasant and light. Considering all five verses, God's consolations come in times of sorrow, trial, disquiet, and grief. They are gentle, reassuring, considerate, compassionate, solicitous, intimate, nourishing, deliberate, and supportive. A loving and caring God gives these consolations at times when they are particularly needed for the purpose of calming the soul and drawing the focus away from the trouble.

Hurting Hearts and Struggling Souls - Part 6

When emotions are intense or unwanted, God can help. His help comes in response to the prayers of those who depend on Him. It comes also through the Bible, the best source for struggling people to be reminded of truth about their great God. The Bible reveals God as the One best equipped to help the hurting and needy.

In Psalm 35, David reveals how strong the enemy is. They contend with him, fight against him, pursue him, seek his life, devise evil against him, hide their nets for him, dig a pit for his soul, rob him, repay him evil for good, bereave his soul, rejoice when he stumbles, gather themselves together, slander without ceasing, gnash at him, hate him without cause, devise deceitful words, open their mouth against him, want to swallow him up, rejoice at his distress, and magnify themselves over him. These godless men who are too strong for him are wrongfully his enemies. David calls them malicious witnesses, smiters, and lions, and speaks of their ravages. Truly the battle is fierce and stacked against him. David also reveals what he expects from God. He asks God to contend with them, fight against them, draw spear and battle-axe against them, bring them shame and dishonor, turn them back, humiliate them, make them like chaff before the wind, drive them, make their way dark and slippery, pursue them, bring sudden destruction, let them be caught in their own net, make them ashamed, and clothe them with shame and dishonor. He asks God not to let them rejoice over him, achieve their desire, or swallow him, but rather to deliver and rescue him. After reading how powerful the enemy is, David's desired outcomes don't seem likely. Even a scrape-by victory would seem amazing. God doesn't do the minimum, however. He completely stymies the plans of David's enemies and reverses their attacks. Far from winning the victory or even achieving a stalemate, the enemies meet utter defeat. They are humiliated, as they stumble blindly, are driven wildly, and destroy themselves. Focusing on a God so incredible certainly brings rejoicing. David anticipated seeing God's awesomeness, and he declared, "My soul shall rejoice in the LORD" (35:9).

Another psalmist states a conclusion of fact: God does amazing work on behalf of men's souls. "I will tell of what He has done for my soul" (66:16). While this verse comes nearly at the end of the psalm, it could easily serve as the introduction. The psalmist supports his premise that God has done things for his soul with numerous examples. The speaker purposefully recalls past deliverances and rehearses them to others. He leads a praise service regarding God's work in his soul and invites others to join in that praise. He invites others to hear his presentation of God's works: "Come and see" (66:5) and "Come and hear" (66:16). The psalmist recalls God's work in history (66:6-7), but also makes it clear that God's work is very personal. He gives testimony that God keeps him and doesn't allow his foot to slip (66:9). He shares examples that must have been very meaningful to him, evoking memories of specific events in his life. He talks of being tried and refined, of nets and burdens, of the oppression of men, of fire, and of water (66:10-12). He concludes by recalling that God "brought [him] out into a place of abundance" (66:12). Truly this man had much to praise God for as he recounted what God had done for his soul. There is benefit in recalling facts and proofs of God's help; the remembering of this well-demonstrated aspect of God's soul-help gives reason to praise God anew.

Another psalmist recalled, "You have rescued ... my eyes from tears" (116:8). It is another statement of fact of something that God has done, both because He is God and because this man "called upon the name of the LORD" (116:4). This psalm of thanksgiving comes from a man whose eyes are opened to the wonder of what God has done for him. It is filled with adoration to God who hears in times of distress and who preserves those who are undeserving. God's rescue of this man was great; God "dealt bountifully" with him (116:7). The psalm focuses less on the troubled man than on the wondrous God who rescued him. God rescues, even on the emotional level, because He is the kind of God who does that.

In fact, no one is more capable of rescuing emotionally than God is. God's help is unique. David states, "He only is my rock and my salvation, my stronghold; I shall not be greatly shaken" (Psalm 62:2), and "My soul, wait in silence for God only, for my hope is from Him" (62:5).  People other than God can provide help, but for various reasons, that doesn't always happen. Sometimes people don't know the problem, sometimes they don't want to be bothered, sometimes they don't know what to do, and sometimes there's actually nothing they can do. In spite of the limitations of people, that is often the primary place struggling people turn for help. They want to talk to their friends and family; they want to be with those people and be comforted by them. There is a legitimate level at which fellow Christians should fill that role, but there is no one who can do it like God can. Four times in this psalm, David states that God "only" is his help; ten times he uses phrases like "for God" and "from Him." There is something exclusive and restrictive about God's ability to help. David knows he can trust God; he calls Him a rock, his salvation, a stronghold, his hope, the rock of his strength, and a refuge. He recalls God's power and lovingkindness. While others can provide some help, God has a unique and unmatched ability to help. The great God is the best and most reliable source.

Hurting Hearts and Struggling Souls - Part 5

God is able to help hurting hearts and sustain struggling souls. In addition to responding to the prayers of His children for such help, God also gives help through the Bible. The author of Psalm 119 was in affliction and misery, but he was comforted in his difficulty by the renewing power of the Bible. "This is my comfort in my affliction, that Your word has revived me" (119:50). This man enjoyed new life, new hope, and a refreshed spirit because of the Word of God.

"The law of the LORD is perfect, restoring the soul. The precepts of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart" (Psalm 19:7-8). Exposure to the Bible brings both restoration and joy to man's internal parts. The Bible is wholesome and healthful by nature, imparting health, vitality, and rebuilding. It is pleasing because it is correct, straightforward, and right; satisfaction comes in knowing that what one reads is dependable and reliable.

Even in the very worst of circumstances, God can provide comfort. "Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me" (Psalm 23:4). The comfort, connected with God's presence, is specifically attributed to God's guiding and correcting. The Bible fills these roles well.

The help of the Bible is supernatural, but it isn't mystical. Rather, the help comes when a person looks into the Bible and seeks truth about God. It is necessary to deliberately focus on and think about the Bible's truth. When David was in the wilderness, "in a dry and weary land where there [was] no water" (Psalm 63:1), he related his physical thirst to spiritual thirst. His soul thirsted and yearned for God. David may not have found immediate satisfaction for his physical thirst, but his spiritual thirst was quenched. "My soul is satisfied as with marrow and fatness" (63:5). Although satisfaction may have seemed impossible, David identifies how it was achieved. "When I remember You on my bed, I meditate on You in the night watches" (63:6). The satisfaction of his soul came when he deliberately thought about God and remembered what God was like. He remembered the times of going into God's house. He remembered God's power, glory, and lovingkindness. He remembered God's help in the past. When David earnestly focused on God in this way, his soul was satisfied, even though his condition had not changed.

David was delivered from fear when he remembered who God is. David stated, "My heart will not fear" (27:3). His help came in remembering that God was his light, salvation, and defense. David remembered God's past deliverances. He remembered the promises of God. He remembered God's commitment to care and provide. Remembering brought trust and prayer and help.

In Psalm 30, David speaks of a great transformation. "You have turned for me my mourning into dancing" (30:11). As David moves through the psalm, he recalls a pattern of God's deliverance through multiple situations. He remembers great victories, followed by temporary stability and then renewed crisis. Each time David called, God gave him strength and another deliverance. David acknowledges the reality of life's difficulties, but he sees that God generates relief. Such knowledge leads David to praise. He anticipates new deliverance when his heart will again be brought to rejoicing. "That my soul may sing praise to You and not be silent" (30:12).  Remembering who God is includes remembering His past help.

Psalm 107 includes the story of people who were wandering in a desert wilderness, unable to find their way to any settlement where they could obtain help. The wanderers were hungry and thirsty with fainting souls. When they cried to God, He showed them the path to take to safety and provision. He also satisfied the thirst and filled the hunger of the fainting soul. "He has satisfied the thirsty soul, and the hungry soul He has filled with what is good" (107:9). God met their immediate physical need, but He also met their deeper and more important spiritual need.

God can enable someone with a hurting heart to have improved emotions even in the midst of the troubling time. There is also an aspect of rejoicing that comes when God delivers, as in Psalm 64. David's life was in danger as his enemies planned ambushes and set traps. They maligned and attacked David with their words. They conspired to destroy him. David had reason to be troubled in his spirit, but he looked forward confidently to God's protection and deliverance. It was the victorious conclusion that would make David's heart glad, and his joy would be shared by others who observed. "Then all men will fear, and they will declare the work of God, and will consider what He has done. The righteous man will be glad in the LORD... and all the upright in heart will glory" (64:9-10). While God certainly can give a measure of joy during the trial, there is logically an increased level of joy when the trial ends - the special joy of deliverance and relief. It is perfectly appropriate and natural that joy will be somewhat reserved while the trial is occurring and that the fullest joy will come with the victory.

A similar response happened in Psalm 126. The children of Israel had been captive in a foreign land. Separated from their homeland, they had experienced captivity, servitude, and tears. Then God reversed their situation so dramatically that it seemed like a dream. "Then our mouth was filled with laughter and our tongue with joyful shouting" (126:2). When they realized what had happened, that "the LORD [had] done great things for them," they became glad (126:3). They laughed and shouted with joy. The overwhelming joyous response was because of the wonder of God's restoration.

The Bible is the place to find God's help. It reminds one of truth about the God of help. Remembering this great God's deliverance is encouraging and strengthening. Joy also comes through actual victories when man consciously identifies Who brings the victory.