Why Art Thou Cast Down?

You know how sometimes you're kinda down, but don't know why?  And then you realize that you really do know why, but you just didn't want to admit the reason to yourself; and even now that you've realized the reason, you still don't want to admit it?  I've found myself in this mood a few times recently.

When there are a few things that are sort of upsetting the symmetry in our lives, we ought to praise God and trust Him to set things right in His time.  When the boat we're in is in some pretty wave-tossed water, and we're kinda just trying to hang on, praise God and trust Him to do what's right and good for us, His children.  When we look out across the horizon and we see so many other boats that are in perfectly calm water, praise God and trust Him to bring us into the peaceful waters in His time.  

Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me? hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God.

~Psalm 42:11~

Let Go

I read a tract once that started out with a burning ship with the survivors quickly getting into life boats to escape certain death.  The last person to leave the ship is a boy, who, once he is hanging onto the ship with only his hands, must jump to the raft below.  But he is afraid.  The men in the life boat below him are trying to persuade him that he must jump, or he will perish with the ship.  To this the boy replies, "I can't let go!  I can't let go!"  After a minute of the mens' urging, the lad takes a leap of faith and uncoils his fingers from around the ship's deck rail.  He falls into the safety of the life boat and is rowed away from the sinking ship.

Never say never, right?  Well, my dad's thing is: never say can't.  To say you can't do something is like giving up on it.  I guess that's why my dad doesn't like us kids to say it.  He doesn't like us to give up on something, especially if we really don't know if we can or can't do it.  A lot of the time if we hear something that at first glance seems impossible, we'll just write it off and say we can't do it, without another thought to it.  When I'm going through trials and they seem to just keep coming and never stop, a lot of the time I feel like screaming that I can't do it anymore.  But if we take a second look at the impossible, we may find that there's a way to actually accomplish that whatever-it-is.  It may be hard.  It may be a very small way, but if we persevere we just might be able to take the contraction away from that forbidden word.

I think that as Christians, we all come across some burning ships that we don't want or are afraid to let go of.  What will happen if I let go?  Will I miss the life boat and sink in the dark water?  Will I really perish if I hold on?  I don't know about my brothers and sisters in Christ, but I know I've asked myself those questions before.  It's almost like I feel that since I have a hold, however small it may be, if I stay, maybe things will get better.  And I fail to remember the fact that the ship is burning, and won't stay above the water much longer.

Sometimes we just have to let go of things that we want.  No, I take that back.  We have to let go of all things that we want; not just sometimes, but all times.  As Christians it's our duty to give up our own will to the Father, and seek only that His will is done.  Now, it just may be the Lord's will to give us some things back, but how do we really know, unless we first give everything to Christ?

(I'm talking to myself, here.  Please don't feel like I'm trying to judge anybody.  These are just some things that I am dealing with personally.  And I write down my thoughts with hopes that if there is someone else going through similar times, perhaps (and I pray) I may be an encouragement to them.)

We have to take that leap of faith.  Every day.  Satan tries over and over to trip up the children of God.  And he may succeed sometimes, and we may go through tough trials; but we can rejoice in the fact that our Lord and Savior will not let us go, if we are truly His.  And we have only to confess our sins and ask forgiveness.  Jesus never fails.  He'll never pass away.  He is forever.  He loves His children and wants to bear their burdens for them.  So, let Him.

 "When Satan tempts you to doubt whether you will be kept from falling, you should tell Satan that you cannot despair when you look at the cross." ~ J.C. Ryle

And, yes, I realize that the past few posts have all had the same message in them: lay your all on the altar and trust the God of all with your entire life.  But can I say it too many times?  I know that I can't tell it enough to my own self.  Give everything up to Christ.  Trust Him with your whole life.  Let go of those burning ships.

Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the LORD thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee. ~Deuteronomy 31:6