Psalm 42:4 - When Your Heart is Breaking.
Psalm 42:4 (NLT) My heart is breaking as I
remember how it used to be: I walked among the crowds
of worshipers, leading a great procession to
the house of God, singing for joy and giving
thanks amid the sound of a great celebration!
COMMENTARY PEARL
Time for a Reboot
Have you ever been working on your
computer when things suddenly froze up? That meant
you needed to refresh your screen. And there are
times when you even need to reboot to get
everything working again.
Sometimes we need a reboot in our lives
as Christians too. We need a refresh because
were feeling down and depressed. That is not a
twenty-first-century phenomena, by the way. The psalmist wrote,
My heart is breaking as I remember how it used
to be: I walked among the crowds of worshipers,
leading a great procession to the house of God,
singing for joy and giving thanks amid the sound of
a great celebration! (Psalm 42:4 NLT).
Then he wrote, Why am I discouraged?
Why is my heart so sad? I will put my hope in
God! I will praise him again - my Savior and my
God! (verses 5"6 NLT).
I love how the psalmist shifted gears. He
went from asking an honest question to
effectively preaching to himself. I have found myself
doing that at times. When Ive felt down, Ive
quoted Scripture to myself, sometimes even out
loud.
A few verses earlier, the psalmist said,
As the deer longs for streams of water, so I
long for you, O God. I thirst for God, the living
God (Psalm 42:1-2 NLT). In other words, he
needed some spiritual refreshment.
Do you need spiritual refreshment today?
Ephesians 5:18-19 says, Be filled with
the Holy Spirit, singing psalms and hymns and
spiritual songs among yourselves, and making music to
the Lord in your hearts. In the original
language, thats a command, not a suggestion. Also,
the implication is that its continuous.
Therefore, God is commanding us to be
filled with the Holy Spirit every day, and that
brings refreshment into our lives. As Acts 3:20
reminds us, Times of refreshment will come from
the presence of the Lord (NLT). [Greg Laurie
from Harvest Ministries;
https://www.harvestdaily.com]
LINKS FOR FURTHER STUDY
Psalm 42:5 - Finding Hope in Discouragement
and Depression.
http://www.abible.com/devotions/2020/20200610-0847.html
Ephesians 5:18 - Controlled and Powered by
The Spirit.
http://www.abible.com/devotions/2021/20210122-0923.html
YOUR COMMENTS
If anyone has a paraphrase, commentary or
testimony on this passage of Scripture, either
personal or otherwise, I would be interested in
hearing from you. Thanks in advance and let's keep
uplifting Jesus that all might be drawn to Him. Fred
Gibbs
LINKS WORTH CHECKING OUT
Most Important Decision in Life:
http://www.youtube.com/embed/WGnEuGwvXqU?rel=0
A Man without Equal by Bill Bright:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NiVa7UoruIo
Steps to Peace by Billy Graham:
https://stepstopeace.org/
Seeking God Made Real:
http://vimeo.com/31489782
Prayer Made Real:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tc8VdMV26VE
LINKS FOR BIBLE STUDIES
Lifting Up Jesus Bible Studies:
http://www.liftingupjesus.net/
Amazing Facts Bible Studies:
http://www.amazingfacts.org/bible-study/bible-study-guides.aspx
Voice of Prophecy Discover Bible Study
Guides:
https://www.voiceofprophecy.com/study/discover
Glow Tract Video Bible Studies:
http://www.bibleresearch.info/
LINKS FOR BIBLE PROPHECY SEMINARS
Unlocking Bible Prophecies by Cami Oetman of
Adventist World Radio: https://www.awr.org/bible
Panorama of Prophecy with Pastor Doug
Batchelor: https://www.panoramaofprophecy.com/
Hope Awakens by John Bradshaw of IIW:
https://itiswritten.tv/programs/hope-awakens
Prophecies Decoded by Pastor Ron Clouzet:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL1A435C5373550657
