Expectation of Mercy

Psalm 42 is a great Psalm that depicts a deeply discouraged David struggling a bit to get his emotions under control.

You can see a pattern of it throughout the Psalm. He takes us through the reality of his heart breaking and being "deeply troubled." He even asks himself the question a couple times, "Why am I discouraged? Why is my heart so sad?"

And yet David knows a little secret... one I have been encouraging myself and others to adopt in our own lives. Because we can't wait around for someone else to encourage us - we must encourage ourselves in the Lord. We must strengthen ourselves.

And I believe we do this best when we can:

REMEMBER.

RECALL.

REPEAT.

We must REMEMBER what God has done.

RECALL it to our memory as often as we can.

And REPEAT it out loud to anyone and everyone who will listen.

It's so vital to our survival.

Our emotional health.

Our spiritual strength.

It's what David does here.

I love the Passion Translation that depicts his inward conversation this way, "Here I am depressed and downcast. YET I will still REMEMBER you as I ponder the place where Your glory streams down from the mighty mountaintops, lofty and majestic - the mountains of Your awesome presence." (verse 6)

YET I will still REMEMBER (emphasis mine.)

We must choose to see His goodness, and His mercy, and His grace today.

And if we find ourselves having a hard time discerning that, then it would benefit us greatly to REMEMBER what He has done in the past.

Declare the goodness in your life today.

And then don't stop talking about it.

There's just something about repeated testimony that stirs up and environment of hope and anticipation.

I love verse 6 in the Message version that says, in part, "When my soul is in the dumps, I rehearse everything I know of You."

Oh. So. Good.

It's why the study of sweet Jesus is so important!

Friends... He's so incredibly good. And while He meets you right where you are - mess and all - He's simply not content to leave you there.

Today I am strengthening myself in the Lord.

Today I am choosing to believe that He longs to be good.

Today I am remember His kindness.

Today I am recalling His love.

Today I am repeating His grace.

Today... I shall live with an expectation of mercy!

You too?