Why Are You Cast Down, O My Soul?
[ Preached by Pastor Kenneth Chin at Campus City, Acts Church Malaysia – 22 June 2018 ]
Pastor Kenneth Chin grew up in a broken family. With the early divorce of his parents, his sister was left in a state of depression which led her to commit suicide. In a generation where suicide is a common occurrence and depression has become a real problem, one of the solutions to depression is called HOPE.
Hope is having something to look forward to.
Life is meant to be good because the Giver of life is good. You could be sad and still have something to expect, yet people continue to be depressed because they have nothing to anticipate.
Additionally, “If happiness is your goal, you will be depressed,” said Dr Karen Kow, a psychologist. Out of seven days, it is quite impossible to be happy every day. Your goal instead should be finding your self worth. When you are secure in your identity as a child of God, you know you will be alright even during the bad days.
Why are you cast down, O my soul?
And why are you disquieted within me?
Hope in God, for I shall yet praise Him
For the help of His countenance.
Psalm 42:5
Last Friday, the Lord prompted Pastor Kenneth to speak from Psalms 42:5. Out of the scripture, two questions were found.
First, it says, “Why are you cast down, O my soul?” The scripture does not indicate that it is wrong to be downcast. Instead, the verse is expressing the author’s conversation with his soul.
To further elaborate, we turn to Nehemiah 2:1-4, “Why is your face sad since you are not sick? This is nothing but sorrow in the heart,” asked King Artaxerxes to Nehemiah, after sensing his servant’s unusual discomposure.
Based on these, we realise there are two different kinds of sadness, (either by external or internal triggers) and the one related to the soul (our feelings, emotions, mind and will) should not be brushed off easily.
________________________________________ The scripture does not indicate that it is wrong to be downcast.
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The second question proceeds to ask, “Why are you disquieted within me?”.‘Disquieted’ in the Hebrew translation is “turbazo”,which means to be disturbed from rest and is troubled in mind. “Dis’ from the word “disquieted” means to undo your current state.
We have an enemy who often looks to undo our peace and rest. Why? To stop us from finishing what God has called us to do! Jesus was also the enemy’s target when He fasted 40 days in the desert. Jesus resisted the enemy and the devil left. When the enemy knows he cannot disturb you, he will leave. However, if he knows you can be disturbed, he will keep coming back at you and stir you up.
________________________________________ When the enemy knows he cannot disturb you, he will leave.
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It is okay for you to be cast down but the question is why. The cause that disturbed your spirit is what you need to address. Speak to your soul and lead yourself to hope again.
What is hope then? In 1 Corinthians 13:13, it says, “And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love”.
________________________________________ Without love, there is no hope. Without hope, there is no faith.
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Love will give you hope. If you find that you have no hope, why don’t you find love? And when you are finding love, isn’t it better to find love in God? When you know that God loves you, you have hope!
________________________________________ If you have love, you must have hope. If you have hope, you must have faith.
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When you know of someone who is full of love, then you are confident the person also has hope. And when the same person shows that he or she is all time hopeful, then you are confident that this person also has faith!
________________________________________ But maybe it all begins with faith.
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Some can say they do not know what love is and can still feel hopeless from their situation. The scripture ends with, “Hope in God, for I shall yet praise Him.” and to praise Him despite being cast down is faith, hope and love.
So, maybe it all begins with faith. Faith is like believing, that even without feeling the love of God, you believe that He still loves you.
2 Corinthians 5:7, it says “For we walk by faith, not by sight”. Have faith, then it will lead you to the greatest of all – love.
Summarised by Kelly Heng
Edited by Pamela Choo and Hailey Chung