A rough week has past...

It is good to have times of trouble. It is good to cry. It is good to face opposition. It is tempting to reach the point of despair. It is easy to give in to worry, fear and self-pity. I read these precious verses yesterday:

Why are you cast down, O my soul,
and why are you in turmoil within me?
Hope in God; for I shall again praise Him,
my salvation and my God.
My soul is cast down within me;
therefore I remember You.
Psalm 43:5-6

There is a cure. Hope in God. David encourages us to remember God when our souls are weary and troubled. What should we remember? God's faithfulness in the past and present as assurance for the future: He never has and never will abandon us. God's sovereignty: He is in control. God's love: He knows and does what is best for us.

Last week was rough. It was not the "worst" week I have ever had, but it was challenging. My family faced a myriad of new circumstances. My dad started an assistant manager position at Walgreen's. (Refresh your memory and read this post) He has strange hours. We are a family that ardently guards our family dinner time. Family dinner, I think, happened once this past week. Physically, we have been recovering from colds. Emotionally, several people contacted us from our old church with questions on why we left.

Personally, I was faced with a wave of sadness. Sadness for the church. Sadness for the pressure and stress that I saw my dad facing. My soul, in many ways, was downcast. Monday morning and these verses were a beautiful thing! There is reason to hope! There is a reason to sing!

God is faithful. He is Good. He is still on His throne. Nothing is bothering Him. He is not surprised. He is not puzzled. He is God. In THAT I place my hope when life's circumstances press in around me.

For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world.
And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith.
Who is it that overcomes the world except the one who
believes that Jesus is the Son of God?
1 John 5:4-5

Bless the Lord, O my soul,
and all that is within me,
bless his holy name!
2 Bless the Lord, O my soul,
and forget not all his benefits,
3 who forgives all your iniquity,
who heals all your diseases,
4 who redeems your life from the pit,
who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy,
5 who satisfies you with good
so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's. 6 The Lord works righteousness
and justice for all who are oppressed.
7 He made known his ways to Moses,
his acts to the people of Israel.
8 The Lord is merciful and gracious,
slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.
9 He will not always chide,
nor will he keep his anger forever.
10 He does not deal with us according to our sins,
nor repay us according to our iniquities.
11 For as high as the heavens are above the earth,
so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him;
12 as far as the east is from the west,
so far does he remove our transgressions from us.
13 As a father shows compassion to his children,
so the Lord shows compassion to those who fear him.
14 For he knows our frame;
he remembers that we are dust.
Psalm 103:1-14