Why?

Monday's Encouragement for Living

by Anthony Walker of Anthony's Desk

Why?

Ps. 42:5 Why are you down in the dumps, dear soul?

Why are you crying the blues? (The Message)

I love David of the Bible. As with most people, we tend to focus on his shortcomings. However, as we look at the entire story of David, we'll find that he was a man after God's heart. Regardless his circumstance he kept the lines open with God, and also himself.

In Psalm 42 David was in agony. Something or someone had wounded him deeply. Many scholars take the first line as an indication that David had been on the run, possibly from Absalom running him out of the kingdom, or Saul running him out of town. The Message translation renders verse 3, "I'm on a diet of tears— tears for breakfast, tears for supper. All day long people knock at my door, Pestering, 'Where is this God of yours?'" Imagine a time that all you ate were your tears.

His spirit says to his soul, "Why are you down in the dumps...why are you crying the blues?" Sometimes our spirit, which is focused on God at all times, talks to our soul, which can get down, sickly, and weak.

He doesn't stop with the pity party. He continues by saying, "Fix my eyes on God. Soon I'll be praising again."

God is the answer to all of our questions. He is the solution to all of our problems.