This will lift your soul when you read it.
We live in a world that is not the way God intended it to be when He created it. When sin entered His perfect creation, all of it was subject to its fruit. Let’s face it, discouragement is not from God, but is one of Satan’s tools that gives us a feeling of hopelessness.
The Psalmist David experienced discouragement during his life and openly wrote about it to encourage us. Consider the beginning of Psalm 13, where David cries,
How long, O LORD? Will You forget me (this nation Kenya)forever?
How long will You hide Your face from me(KENYA)?How long shall I take counsel in my soul,
Having sorrow in my heart all the day (v.1-2)?
Many Kenyans are sorrowful
Certainly, we have all felt like this from time to time. We are most like in it as we see our land divided. When the pressures of daily life, political heat, economic crisis mount up and we see no way to relieve that pressure, we might think that the Lord has forgotten us.
But, David has a lot more to offer than heartfelt lament. His writings always conclude with a confession that God is the One who supplies all of his needs— even when disappointed. And this nation needs are well known to Him.
But I have trusted in Your loving kindness;
My heart shall rejoice in Your salvation.
I will sing to the LORD,
Because He has dealt bountifully with me (v.5-6).
The God who is sovereign over all of creation and loves us can provide hope to our hearts when we ask for help. He will see the cry for our nation and meet our quest.
If you are feeling discouraged like I have been lately for this land, I pray for God in confidence to remove those feelings and I begin to praise Him for His love and care and redemption.
Jesus has broken the chains of disappointment and freed us from the grips of Satan.
“Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God.”
Psalm 42:5 NIV
“How long, LORD? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me? How long must I wrestle with my thoughts and day after day have sorrow in my heart? How long will my enemy triumph over me? Look on me and answer, LORD my God. Give light to my eyes, or I will sleep in death, and my enemy will say, “I have overcome him,” and my foes will rejoice when I fall. But I trust in your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation. I will sing the LORD’s praise, for he has been good to me.”
Psalm 13:1-6 NIV
