DON’T LISTEN TO YOUR EMOTIONS, TALK TO YOUR HEART! – Choose what you see and feel.

Psalm 42: 3 – 6: My tears have been my food day and night, While they continually say to me, Where is your God?” When I remember these things, I pour out my soul within me…… Why are you downcast, O my soul? And why are you disturbed within me? Hope in God, for I shall praise Him again, my Savior and my God.”

The psalmist’s tears show his grief was deep and great. Aggravating the situation was being in the company of taunting unbelievers who wanted to discourage him and make him feel that at his moment of need, God was nowhere to be found.

Nowadays a lot of people also experience grief and despair, their soul is downcast and they feel discouragement and despondency.  The psalmist gives us 3 tips if we feel that way.

1. Pour out your soul. The verse says, “I pour out my soul within me.” Meaning I tell the Lord everything that is on my heart, all my problems, my doubts, my fears, my heartaches, my despair, I empty my heart, I hide nothing, it is just between God and my own soul.

2. Self dialogue, speaking wisely to your own soul. “Why are you cast down O my soul and why are you disturbed within me?” His spirit seeks to encourage and upraise his soul. He is not praying to God, nor speaking to readers, he is talking to himself, to his soul. You have to get hold of yourself, address yourself, preach to yourself. “Soul, what business have you to be disquieted?”

He does not surrender to his feelings of spiritual depression and discouragement. Instead, he challenged them. He doesn’t say, “My soul is cast down and that’s how it is. There is nothing I can do about it.” He challenged his own soul. Many things were bothering him, among them God’s seemingly slow response. Still, it was as if he said, “Those are not good enough reasons to be cast down when I think of the greatness of God and His love for me.”

Your emotions often say all kinds of panicky things, “Oh my goodness! Things are never going to get better, this or that might happen…” Answer that way, “Heart! Listen for a moment. This is what I know about God, this is what He promised.” This is the key to how you can handle anything.

3. Redirect your hopes. He continues, “Hope in God, I shall praise Him again.” Just like him, everyone buried under discouragement needs to redirect their hope and keep confidence in God, that you shall praise Him again.

Count your blessings and look to the future, in this world and the next, with hope. Come to God, and cast the burden of your cares on Him. Remind yourself of who God is, what He has done in your life and how He got you out of difficult situations in the past. Comfort yourself with the thought that He has your best interests at heart.

 “For I shall praise Him again, my Savior and my God.” He would yet have occasion to give God thanks, he had a strong assurance that these troubles would not last always but would have an end, expressing the confident belief that God would yet intervene. And when that confidence exists, the soul should not be dejected or cast down.

You have to learn to get your heart and emotions under control, to address them instead of allowing them to talk to you. Do not live at an emotional level! Choose what you see and feel. Choose to see a God who is for you and not against you, a God who has your best interests at heart.

So defy the fears, doubts and discouragement and say, “I shall praise Him again for He is my Savior and my God.”

Pour out your soul, talk to your heart and redirect your hopes.