What's Wrong with Me?

"Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God."
Psalm 42:5

I am not always excited about life. Sometimes, it is difficult. Sometimes, it hurts. The fact is; we are created to be emotional people. That part of our lives is called the soul.
    The soul is that part of us that includes our mind, will and emotions. Often, this is a very confusing place. One part of our soul is excited about what God is doing. We believe everything he says and look forward to the promised future he has for us. Then there is the other part of our soul, the part that is consumed with the realities of living in this world. Many times, there is a collision between the trusting, faith-filled soul and the troubled, downcast one.
    King David knew this conflict very well. In fact, he wrote the words from Psalm 42:5, three total times. He knew that sometimes his emotions would get the better of him and he would find himself in that troublesome, downcast state of mind. It got to the point where he had to honestly ask himself this question: Why am I so downcast? This is the reality check that you and I must have. The answers are always going to have something to do with our circumstances or condition. These are 'world' things, physical things, life things. But after the reality check, we must realize the same things that David did. There is a hope, a greater hope than the struggle in which we are entangled.
    Right now, in the midst of a downcast and disturbed soul, let us all say, "Put your hope in God! I will yet praise my Savior and my God!" When the collision between faith and fear happens, this is the solution. We may be pressed down, but we are not defeated. Our hope is firmly set on the One we praise, our Savior and our God.