A little bit of "Soul Care"

For the director of music. A psalm of David.

How long, O LORD

Will you forget me forever?

How long will you hide your face from me?
How long must I wrestle with my thoughts

and every day have sorrow in my heart?

How long will my enemy triumph over me?
Look on me and answer, O LORD my God.

Give light to my eyes, or I will sleep in death;
my enemy will say, "I have overcome him,"

and my foes will rejoice when I fall.

But I trust in your unfailing love;

my heart rejoices in your salvation.
I will sing to the LORD,

for he has been good to me.

(Psalm 13 NIV)

Please bear with me while I take an "aside" from Psalm 119. Has your week been as exhausting as mine has? Have you felt overwhelmed, underqualified, emotionally spent, physically weary, mentally numb and, worst of all, spiritually discouraged?

As I was crying out to God with the most eloquent of prayers, "Please, Help!" I read this psalm. What an encouragement! I took David's inspired advice, and started counseling my heart. . .

God, I can trust in your unfailing love, because You are absolutely trustworthy.

Oh, my heart does rejoice in Your salvation! I don't deserve Your love; I can't do anything to earn it; but You have graciously saved me; You love me; You have promised to never leave me.

Despite only one working vocal cord, I can still sing to You, precious Lord (and I even put my CD of Valley of Vision songs to help me out).

Sure enough, listening and "singing along" with the tape did lift my soul!

Oh, Lord, You have been good to me in the past; You are good to me now; You will be good to me tomorrow, next week, in the months to come, as long as You give me breath.

Oh, my, I seem to have a spring in my tired step, and a bit of a smile on my face. What was it that I was so burdened about? Is it bigger than Almighty God? Is it more than the Sovereign King of the Universe can handle? Has it been troubling me longer than the Ancient of Days?