Did you know King David did not write the entire Book of Psalms? Let’s look at a couple of encouraging things written by the sons of Korah.
First,
Korah was a Levite and spiritual leader who led a rebellion against Moses. When
Moses sought God for an answer, that rebellion did not have a happy ending. (If
curious, read about it in Numbers 16:1-35.)
In
David’s time, he appointed men from Korah’s clan to serve as choir leaders.
That line of temple musicians continued for hundreds of years (1
Chronicles 6:31-38; 2 Chronicles 20:18-19).
To
me, that shows you can choose to serve God, whether your forefathers did or
not.
Next,
let’s consider depression and discouragement. These emotions are nothing new.
When
my piano students used to get frustrated at making a mistake, I’d say, “It’s
good to know you made a mistake. Now you can correct it.”
We
may not always know why we feel discouraged or depressed, but it’s OK to ask, “Why?”
It means you’d like to make a change
The
psalmist asks: (1) “Why am I downcast, (2) Why am I uneasy, and (3) Why has God
forgotten me?” (Psalm 42:5, 9, 11).
But he doesn’t stop there. He remembers previous days when God seemed near, and
he enjoyed going to church and praising God.
He
declares he’s thirsty for the living God (Verse 2).
Physical dehydration is serious, and spiritual dehydration isn’t any healthier.
Physical dryness is improved by drinking water. Spiritual dehydration can also be
helped.
It’s
good to be honest with yourself. The psalmist
asked hard questions, but then he decided to move in a positive direction: (1) He
remembered the good things God had done (verse 6-8), and
(2) He encouraged himself to put his hope in God (verse
5, 11).
Paul
also encouraged us to move forward and find peace: Be anxious for nothing, but
in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests
to God (Philippians 4:6-7).
Like
the psalmist said, “*Put your hope in God.”
*Remember,
if you try the psalmist’s approach, but are not able to deal with depression or
discouragement on your own, talk to a spiritual leader or professional
counselor. We are put on this earth to help one another.
Pixabay: Rain, Nature, Window; RichardsDrawings.
