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.