09/08/2020

Psalm 41
Heal my soul, O Lord

The book of Psalms addresses all the feelings one could experience, challenges we might face and also offers guidance for serving the Lord. Let’s spend some time and discuss these over the next few days or weeks, depending on how the Lord leads us.

“As for me I said, “O Lord, be gracious to me Heal my soul, for I have sinned against You.” (vers 4)

I believe there are a few reasons why “bad things happen to good people” and when I refer to “good” it is only a manner of speaking from a worldly perspective, for NO ONE is good and ALL fall short of God’s glory.

  1. We are in a fallen world, and other people make decisions that affect us directly
    A fallen world, filled with fallen people, destined to perish without God. This is what we face each day. People have to make decisions every day, all day long. This is necessary to survive, right? The problem comes in when those decisions directly affect your life and you have absolutely no control over it.

    A good example would be when a marriage unexpectedly comes to an end and the one party is left out in the cold, so to speak. They have no where to go and do not have the means to make it on their own. They simply have to walk out with nothing and accept the cards they have been dealt. I have seen this happen and it causes so much heartache and damage to the person’s soul.

    They have no choice but to move on and start a new life with the clothes on their backs. If this has happened to you, you know the hurt and pain accompanying you for many years to come.
  2. God allows certain things to happen in order for us to mature in our faith
    Can you think of a better example in the bible, than that of Job? There are a few more, but Job stands out. He was a righteous, God fearing man and the Lord allowed Satan to cause him harm. The kind of harm anyone with a conscience, would not wish for their biggest enemy.

    Job was tested to the extreme, when he basically lost everyone and everything dear to him, to the point where he cursed his own birth. Even his friends advised him to repent, seeing that something like that (according to them) couldn’t happen to a person that is in right standing with God.

    The agony of losing a loved one, especially a child, is something any loving parent fear the most and the day that happens, everything else suddenly seem meaningless, including their own life. God eventually restored Job, for he remained faithful. He will also restore your soul even if it takes a life time.
  3. We reap the unavoidable consequences of poor choices we have made
    Now this is something everyone can relate to. Do you recall that one decision you made and if you could only turn back the hands of time…? You are not alone!

    Unfortunately this is something many of us have to live with, knowing you shouldn’t have signed that contract or bought that car or even pursued that relationship. Can you honestly say you acknowledged the Lord before proceeding and if you did, were you impatient and couldn’t wait any longer for His response?

    If this is the case and you are still paying for that hasty decision, bring it before the Lord in prayer. If you continued without seeking the Lord’s guidance, it is also not too late. Ultimately our poor decisions are due to disobedience on our part, but we don’t have to be ashamed. Approach His throne of grace today. He will heal your soul and renew your spirit to the point where you can “face” Him again.

Regardless of the reasons for your trials and tribulations, God knows the intentions of your heart. Without God’s supernatural healing, we will never be able to move on, knowing He makes everything work together for good for those who love Him (Rom 8 v 28).

Scripture quotations taken from the NASB, Life Application Study Bible, unless stated otherwise. Copyright by “The Lockman Foundation“