Downward

Psalm 42:11

‘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.’

Two questions: Why does this sound familiar? And What does it mean?

Hey. I’m back again. I dove really quickly into this post because there’s so much to say and there aren’t enough letters in the alphabet to say it fast enough.

Psalm is such a good book to study. A boom full of honesty and grace and reminders we *cross that out* I usually need. Here’s one that’s important to me, one topic that touches the heart a little more than others: being cast down.

Being low and hurt and feeling useless, feeling like God doesn’t remember you.

Well, I was studying my Bible today and turns out it’s a Friday and I needed a topic ASAP, and here comes this really inspirational verse that I think everyone should know about so let’s repeat it one more time.

‘Yet for your sake we are killed all the day long;

we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.’

Psalm 44:22

That was a heavy one, wasn’t it?

Yeeeeaaaahhh…let’s pull it apart.

Earlier in this chapter, I studied the way David wrote about God’s grace. How much God loves him. How much God saved him. How much we need God’s love.

That lasts 8 verses, which is a fair ammount…I think…?

The next 13 verses are a little different.

‘Why have you rejected us? Why have you discarded us? Why are you leaving us as sheep for slaughter? Why are we alone now? Why are you hiding now? Why are you selling us for less than we’re worth? Why are we disgraced and beaten and hated?’

Then we get to the next part.

‘He left us intentionally. He’s got a plan. This is why you’re suffering: *explains in wide detaill why we’re alone right now*.’

Then the chapter ends.

‘So, Claudia,’ you might be thinking, ‘how does it end?’

What’s the verdict?

Introduction: I love God.

Part one: I love God.

Part two: Why is God doing this to me?

Part three: here’s the answer.

Ending: I love God

God never leaves us an unanswered question. Even if he takes thousands of years to answer, your question will never be left open-ended unfinnished unanswered.

God prophesizes that we’ll suffer he tell us, he literally tells us that we will not be given a clean life on earth. We will not be allowed a nice life without pain or suffering or hurt.

God tells us we will be hurt. He tells us we will suffer and it will not be easy and even when it feels like it’s going really good…it probably isn't.

But that’s okay!

It’s okay because this question is not unanswered. It is replied with a quick, easy answer.

Because God needs you as an example. He needs to put you through all these trials, through all these slaughterhouses, so that you will show people the full power of God.

He put me here, yes, but He made me stronger for it.

And that’s all you need to know.

-Claudia