Telling Yourself the Truth

Psalm 42:5 - "Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God."

Blake's last post got me thinking about Psalm 42:5 and the importance of talking to ourselves. I know that sounds strange, but we talk to ourselves all the time! There is a constant inner conversation going on and we see this in Psalm 42:5. David asks his soul why it is cast down.

What I want you to see from this text is that David tells his downcast soul to do something. Many of us let that inner dialogue go rogue all the time. We lose control of it and it can cause us to be discouraged. Maybe you had an argument with your wife, or maybe you have bills that need to be paid and you don't have the money. Or for you baseball guys maybe you are 0 for your last 20, or couldn't hit the broad side of a barn. Fear begins to slither into your inner dialogue and anxiety begins to suffocate you. It is at this point that you have to take control and talk to yourself. It is at this point that you need to start telling yourself the truth.

So what does David do? He speaks to himself. And what does he tell his soul to do? Hope in God! He says "soul! hope in God!" Inwardly he asks the important question, "why do I feel the way I do," and then he gives himself the remedy, which is "hope in God."

Daily we are in a battle and the frontlines are in the mind. I challenge you when you are heavy hearted, anxious, or fearful to speak words of truth to your soul and lift up your soul with the Word of God.