Psalm 119:25
My soul clings to the dust; give me life according to your word. Psalm 119:25
This stanza starts with a phrase that is all too often on my lips. Few people know that I view life as hard. Melancholy is sitting at the side of my bed every morning. I have my prayers that I turn to each day to help keep the heaviness at bay.
It is at these times that I feel “low” the most. These are the moments I need to hear the Gospel preached to myself the most. When morning comes, I am most prone to want to give into comfort and just stay horizontal a little longer. At its worse, melancholy will want to be comforted and my pursuit of comfort will lead to slothfulness.
In those early morning hours, I need to apply this verse in a very tangible way.
My soul clings to the dust; give me life according to your word.
I wish it were not true, but every morning this battle is raging for my heart. My flesh is demanding comfort and in an odd way, my comfort wants the lies of the flesh. But instead, I begin speaking the truth of the Gospel to my comfort and soon, I am going to the God of all comfort who comforts me in all my affliction…
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. For as we share abundantly in Christ's sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too.
2 Corinthians 1:3-5 ESV
As I think about my tendency towards melancholy and thinking life is hard, I have learned: “weak me and Jesus is a more powerful force for the gospel than strong me by myself; paraphasing John Hindley in his book Weakness Our Strength; Learning from Christ Crucified.
That is the beauty of Psalm 119:25. Hindley reminds us, “Weakness takes us to Christ, and it also takes us to strength, to power. Jesus’ reply to Paul’s prayer (about removing the ‘thorn in his flesh’) was ‘…my power is made perfect in weakness.’ In the dependency that weakness creates, Christ’s power is made perfect.”
So, as we feel low, “in the dirt,” the truth of Scripture breaks through and God reveals Himself to us in power. What amazing, good news!
If you find yourself feeling low with no one to share your thoughts and concerns, please consider reaching out to Burke Care. We want to be available to you where you are.
God in heaven, you are the one who makes us strong. It is in our weakness and surrender that you show Yourself to be strong. Bring us to the end of ourselves so that You can begin to do the much-needed work in our hearts, to Your glory, honor, and praise. Amen
Application Questions:
When you are feeling down, where do you turn? Do you turn to comfort, control, approval, or power?
Where do you see heaviness entering your mind? Is it when you are alone or with a certain friend-group or in a specific circumstance?
How can you practice “preaching the Gospel to yourself” in these moments?
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