RR Psalm 42:5,6(4,5) Part 5

Shalom,

Psalm 41:5(4) These things I remember as I pour out my soul within me. For I used to go along with the throng, walking with them to the House of God, with a voice of joy and praise, a multitude keeping a festival. 6(5) Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why are you murmuring within me? Hope in God, for I will yet praise Him, for the salvation of His presence.

There are ups and there are downs.  There are highs and there are lows.  Here is the stark contrast.  In verse 5, we are “flying high,” walking with the crowd to the House of God, with “a voice of joy and praise!”  Not even moments later, we are “downcast,” and asking why our soul is “murmuring within.”  Then, immediately, in the same verse, another flip, as if to remind himself (which is exactly how these two verses start, it is all a memory) there is a startling statement, “Hope in God!”  Follow that with the highest praise of all, thanksgiving for Yeshua!!!

These two verses are a “roller coaster” of emotions.  Both the start and finish are high praise, the joy of first walking, and then just being in God’s presence.  In between is the murmuring of a downcast soul.  This describes the life of every follower of Yeshua.  We all start our walk with Yeshua in the excitement of having found Him.  At some point, every one of us will wrestle with God over control of our lives, Jacob’s struggle is our own….

Genesis 32:27 Then He said, “Let Me go, for the dawn has broken.” But he said, “I won’t let You go unless You bless me.” 28 Then He said to him, “What is your name?” “Jacob,” he said. 29 Then He said, “Your name will no longer be Jacob, but rather Israel, for you have struggled with God and with men, and you have overcome.” 30 Then Jacob asked and said, “Please tell me Your name.” But He said, “What’s this—you are asking My name?” Then He blessed him there. 31 So Jacob named the place Peniel, “for I’ve seen God face to face, and my life has been spared.”

This is the victory on the other side.  The “hope” we have in Hebrew is “Yachal,” meaning to wait with expectation.  That expectation is matched by “praise” for God which is really “Todah” in Hebrew (which many of you already know), is thanksgiving.  We give thanks to God with expectation that what we’re thanking God for has already been accomplished.  We may not see it yet, but it is done.  

Romans 8:24 For in hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? 25 But if we hope for what we do not see, then we eagerly wait for it with perseverance.

Which leads us to this… Ephesians 3:16 I pray that from His glorious riches He would grant you to be strengthened in your inner being with power through His Ruach, 17 so that Messiah may dwell in your hearts through faith. I pray that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 may have strength to grasp with all the kedoshim what is the width and length and height and depth, 19 and to know the love of Messiah which surpasses knowledge, so you may be filled up with all the fullness of God.

Shalom shalom.

Daily Bread, reading plan by Lars Enarson (https://www.thewatchman.org/)
Tue30-Dec-202510th of Tevet, 5786Fast of Tevet
Ge 48:17-222 Sa 15Ps 87 Lk 9:27-62(2 Co 10)
Ex 32:11-14; 34:1-10; Isa 55:6-56:8