Notes of Faith January 16, 2025
Foundation of Faith
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.
Psalm 42:5
Today, most people don’t find themselves besieged by “an ungodly nation” (Psalm 43:1) or an actual “enemy” (Psalm 42:9). But that happened often in the Old Testament era and was probably the occasion for the writing of Psalms 42 and 43 (likely originally one psalm). Such an attack from one’s enemies led to the author admonishing himself to “hope in God,” instead of being downcast and disquieted over his situation.
Ps 42:5-8
5 Why are you in despair, O my soul?
And why have you become disturbed within me?
Hope in God, for I shall again praise Him
For the help of His presence.
6 O my God, my soul is in despair within me;
Therefore I remember You from the land of the Jordan
And the peaks of Hermon, from Mount Mizar.
7 Deep calls to deep at the sound of Your waterfalls;
All Your breakers and Your waves have rolled over me.
8 The Lord will command His lovingkindness in the daytime;
And His song will be with me in the night,
A prayer to the God of my life.
We may not face attacks from actual enemies, but we do find ourselves downcast and disquieted at times. The danger is that such emotions can move us from a foundation of faith to a feeling of fear. What we need in such moments is what the author of Hebrews called an “anchor of the soul” that keeps us moored in place. And what is that anchor? Hope: “This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast” (Hebrews 6:19).
When you feel God has forgotten you (Psalm 42:9), put your “hope in God.” Let hope keep you anchored in Him by faith.
Hope is the foundation of patience.
John Calvin
When what we might think is the worst that could happen to us and feeling that God is nowhere to be found, remember…
Josh 1:5
I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you.
Prov 3:5-6
5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding;
6 in all your ways acknowledge him,
and he will make your paths straight.
God is and always has been faithful and trustworthy. Give your life to Him and He will give you eternal blessings!
Pastor Dale