The world we live in is filled with negativity. Watching the news, looking at social media, and even going to work can be depressing. On top of that, the devil will challenge us with hardship—financially, emotionally, and spiritually. It can cause stress on our souls or “inner selves.”
Our souls contain our mind, will, and emotions. God created it for a reason so we could go through life without living like a robot. When God created Adam and Eve, He gave them the ability to think, choose, and feel. In the beginning, their souls only contained happiness because perfection surrounded them. But when they sinned, the devil brought evil into the world. Suddenly, what their soul encountered was not all happy. Their souls could experience joy at times, but also grief.
Now we all face the good and the bad against our souls. If we allow it, negative thoughts and experiences can bring our lives down into depression, as if we have a war going on in our minds. It can be exhausting and zap joy from our lives.
God knows it’s challenging. But like every situation we face in life, He has a solution.
Why are you cast down, O my inner self? And why should you moan over me and be disquieted within me? Hope in God and wait expectantly for Him, for I shall yet praise Him, Who is the help of my countenance, and my God (Psalm 42:11, AMPC).
God gave us a will, the ability to choose. Even in hardship, we can choose to activate God’s solution by believing His truth. Or we can believe whatever lie the devil brings. What we choose will determine our joy or sorrow, victory or defeat.
Put Your Hope in God
The first instruction God gives in this verse is to put our hope in God. Here, the word hope means patience. Our souls struggle with the concept of patience. We want our miracle right now! God has provided all we need through the Cross, but it often takes time for His promises to manifest. This is often due to the time it takes to grow our faith to receive, or the natural things He must coordinate. But regardless of how long it takes, He’s called us to be patient.
Wait Expectantly for God
While we are patient, God wants us to wait expectantly for His power to move in our lives for our eyes to see. Waiting expectantly means we are confident that He will meet our need. It’s like a child going to bed on Christmas Eve, knowing there will be gifts under the tree in the morning. We can have full confidence in God that He will do what He said He will do!
Praise God!
This is one of the greatest steps to overcoming a distressed inner self. Praise magnifies God over the problem and reminds our souls of how great He is. It forces the spirit of heaviness to leave and brings joy because we know His promises are “yes and amen”! (Isaiah 61:3, 2 Corinthians 1:20).
Acknowledge Who God Is
The phrase “health of my countenance” means God is our salvation. When we submit our soul’s troubles to Him, we acknowledge that He alone is our Savior. When we bow our need to Him as God, we are declaring that He is the Lord of our stress. And when we surrender the lordship of our souls to Him, He has an open door to assist us.
When we were born again, God’s nature came to live inside of us (2 Corinthians 5:17). From that day on, we have the choice to allow our spirits or our souls to rule our lives. Inside our born-again spirits is love, joy, and peace. It contains the power and wisdom of God for every situation. When our soul is troubled, we can choose to believe the Spirit of Life inside, or the lies of the devil outside (Romans 8:17).
As Christians, we have no reason to be cast down or disquieted. The Bible says that the One in us is greater than what’s against us (1 John 4:4). We are children of the Most High God, the same God who created us and planned great things for our lives (Jeremiah 29:11). God has made us royalty in His family, with His authority over the devil (Luke 10:19). God promised that no weapon formed against us would prosper if we would trust in Him (Isaiah 54:17).
The more we praise and thank God for these things, the more we are confident in them. It’s part of washing our minds with the water of His Word, flushing out any contradictory word (Ephesians 5:26). It strengthens our faith, which permits God to work on our behalf.
Next time we feel anxiety, depression, and hopelessness come to our souls, we need to recognize where it came from. God’s nature is only good (Psalm 136:1). He’s incapable of giving something He doesn’t have. Such emotions and thoughts only come from the devil. It should anger us when we begin to experience negativity, because it does not belong to us. It’s an attack of the devil against us to destroy our lives. Boldness should rise from our spirits as we ask, “Why are you cast down, O my inner self? And why should you moan over me and be disquieted within me?” Then, with authority, tell our souls what to do: “Hope in God and wait expectantly for Him, for I shall yet praise Him”! The joy of the Lord is our soul’s strength! (Nehemiah 8:10)
Bless the Lord, O my soul;
And all that is within me, bless His holy name!
Bless the Lord, O my soul,
And forget not all His benefits:
Who forgives all your iniquities,
Who heals all your diseases,
Who redeems your life from destruction,
Who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies,
Who satisfies your mouth with good things,
So that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s (Psalm 103:5, NKJV).
Christa Madrid 