Psalm 42 New American Standard Bible 1995
BOOK 2
Thirsting for God in Trouble and Exile.
For the choir director. A [a]Maskil of the sons of Korah.
42 As the deer [b]pants for the water brooks,
So my soul [c]pants for You, O God.
2 My soul thirsts for God, for the living God;
When shall I come and [d]appear before God?
3 My tears have been my food day and night,
While they say to me all day long, “Where is your God?”
4 These things I remember and I pour out my soul within me.
For I used to go along with the throng and [e]lead them in procession to the house of God,
With the voice of joy and thanksgiving, a multitude keeping festival.
5 Why are you [f]in despair, O my soul?
And why have you become disturbed within me?
[g]Hope in God, for I shall [h]again praise [i]Him
For the [j]help of His presence.
6 O my God, my soul is [k]in despair within me;
Therefore I remember You from the land of the Jordan
And the [l]peaks of Hermon, from Mount Mizar.
7 Deep calls to deep at the sound of Your waterfalls;
All Your breakers and Your waves have rolled over me.
8 The Lord will command His lovingkindness in the daytime;
And His song will be with me in the night,
A prayer to the God of my life.
9 I will say to God my rock, “Why have You forgotten me?
Why do I go mourning [m]because of the oppression of the enemy?”
10 As a shattering of my bones, my adversaries revile me,
While they say to me all day long, “Where is your God?”
11 Why are you [n]in despair, O my soul?
And why have you become disturbed within me?
[o]Hope in God, for I shall yet praise Him,
The [p]help of my countenance and my God.
The Word of God for the Children of God.
Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.
Doesn’t Anybody Hear Me? My Soul Thirsts for God!
3 My tears have been my food day and night,
While they say to me all day long, “Where is your God?”
5 Why are you [f]in despair, O my soul?
And why have you become disturbed within me?
9 I will say to God my rock, “Why have You forgotten me?
Why do I go mourning [m]because of the oppression of the enemy?”
10 As a shattering of my bones, my adversaries revile me,
While they say to me all day long, “Where is your God?”
11 Why are you [n]in despair, O my soul?
And why have you become disturbed within me?
Does anyone get the obvious gest of the Psalmists state of mind?
What is NOT happening in the Psalmists life he would not immediately if not sooner exchange it out or run away as fast as he could in any other direction?
Been there, done that, too many times to try and count?
Right there, right now – world is just a whirling and a swirling and a twirling?
If not you the reader, then someone you know, someone you love a whole lot?
Psalm 42 New King James Version
BOOK TWO
Psalms 42–72
Yearning for God in the Midst of Distresses
To the Chief Musician. A [a]Contemplation of the sons of Korah.
42 As the deer [b]pants for the water brooks,
So pants my soul for You, O God.
2 My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.
When shall I come and [c]appear before God?
3 My tears have been my food day and night,
While they continually say to me,
“Where is your God?”
4 When I remember these things,
I pour out my soul within me.
For I used to go with the multitude;
I went with them to the house of God,
With the voice of joy and praise,
With a multitude that kept a pilgrim feast.
5 Why are you [d]cast down, O my soul?
And why are you disquieted within me?
Hope in God, for I shall yet praise Him
[e]For the help of His countenance.
6 [f]O my God, my soul is cast down within me;
Therefore I will remember You from the land of the Jordan,
And from the heights of Hermon,
From [g]the Hill Mizar.
7 Deep calls unto deep at the noise of Your waterfalls;
All Your waves and billows have gone over me.
8 The Lord will command His lovingkindness in the daytime,
And in the night His song shall be with me—
A prayer to the God of my life.
9 I will say to God my Rock,
“Why have You forgotten me?
Why do I go mourning because of the oppression of the enemy?”
10 As with a [h]breaking of my bones,
My enemies [i]reproach me,
While they say to me all day long,
“Where is your God?”
11 Why are you cast down, O my soul?
And why are you disquieted within me?
Hope in God;
For I shall yet praise Him,
The [j]help of my countenance and my God.
The author of Psalm 42 is mired in the quicksand’s of deep distress.
He is longing for God, and people around him have been taunting him, saying, “Where is your God?”
People in this world also taunt and judge us sometimes.
But we should not let that bother us, because people judge others by their own standards.
God’s standards are infinitely more important.
Isaiah 55:8-9 New King James Version
8 “For My thoughts are not your thoughts,
Nor are your ways My ways,” says the Lord.
9 “For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
So are My ways higher than your ways,
And My thoughts than your thoughts.
The psalmist also didn’t see any sign of help from anyone and could not go to worship God in the sanctuary—and that caused him to feel forgotten by God.
It made the psalmist ache inside.
If we are not able to worship God with his people, we too can feel lonely and hurt inside.
The poet longed to be with God and to meet with God.
“As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, my God.”
This Psalm helps us to see that our faith can be jostled around, so badly shaken, wildly stirred up – our faith’s dizziness scale might never seem to stop raising.
Within this Psalm are many issues and concerns which have been left inside the pressure cooker for too long, might just lead us to disastrous results-giving up!
This psalm also helps us to envision that God is giving us his permission to be optimistic-possibly keep faith despite the stresses of feeling distant from God.
In God’s strength, the psalmist keeps talking to his soul, saying, “Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God” (42:5, 10; see also Psalm 43:5).
When Someone Seems to Walk Away from the Faith
Psalm 42 The Message
42 1-3 A white-tailed deer drinks
from the creek;
I want to drink God,
deep drafts of God.
I’m thirsty for God-alive.
I wonder, “Will I ever make it—
arrive and drink in God’s presence?”
I’m on a diet of tears—
tears for breakfast, tears for supper.
All day long
people knock at my door,
Pestering,
“Where is this God of yours?”
4 These are the things I go over and over,
emptying out the pockets of my life.
I was always at the head of the worshiping crowd,
right out in front,
Leading them all,
eager to arrive and worship,
Shouting praises, singing thanksgiving—
celebrating, all of us, God’s feast!
5 Why are you down in the dumps, dear soul?
Why are you crying the blues?
Fix my eyes on God—
soon I’ll be praising again.
He puts a smile on my face.
He’s my God.
6-8 When my soul is in the dumps, I rehearse
everything I know of you,
From Jordan depths to Hermon heights,
including Mount Mizar.
Chaos calls to chaos,
to the tune of whitewater rapids.
Your breaking surf, your thundering breakers
crash and crush me.
Then God promises to love me all day,
sing songs all through the night!
My life is God’s prayer.
9-10 Sometimes I ask God, my rock-solid God,
“Why did you let me down?
Why am I walking around in tears,
harassed by enemies?”
They’re out for the kill, these
tormentors with their obscenities,
Taunting day after day,
“Where is this God of yours?”
11 Why are you down in the dumps, dear soul?
Why are you crying the blues?
Fix my eyes on God—
soon I’ll be praising again.
He puts a smile on my face.
He’s my God.
From the very beginning, people walked away from the faith.
Even one of Jesus’ closest disciples, Judas, betrayed him for money.
The apostle Paul talks about those who have rejected truth and left the church.
In the end, the Bible tells us many will fall away, what many call the Great Apostasy.
2 Timothy 4:1-5 New American Standard Bible 1995
“Preach the Word”
4 I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by His appearing and His kingdom: 2 preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with [a]great patience and instruction. 3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires, 4 and will turn away their ears from the truth and will turn aside to myths. 5 But you, be sober in all things, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.
Part of living a life of faith is watching others fall away.
People who we felt followed Jesus with all their hearts one day reject their faith, usually after a process of compromise and doubt.
A young man I discipled in Christ once sat with me at lunch and admitted he was now an atheist.
I appealed to him in love, of course, but he made up his mind. It broke my heart.
And it should break our hearts.
But what should we do about it?
1. Ask Questions to Understand
When someone we love appears to be straying from their faith, it’s essential to engage them with compassion and understanding.
Begin by asking questions and seeking to understand their perspective and journey better.
This method not only demonstrates care and empathy but also provides an opportunity for meaningful dialogue and support.
Proverbs 20:5 states,
“The purposes of a person’s heart are deep waters, but one who has insight draws them out.”
We need to prioritize discerning individuals’ underlying motivations and struggles, especially when it comes to matters of faith.
By asking questions with genuine curiosity and openness, we can help uncover the root causes behind their doubts or struggles, paving the way for authentic conversation and connection.
Asking questions allows us to listen actively and attentively to their perspective without judgment or condemnation.
Instead of imposing our own beliefs or attempting to provide quick solutions, we create a safe space for them to express thoughts, feelings, and uncertainties openly.
Generally, someone giving up on their faith has come to the decision with some grief, great struggle, they may feel unsure or awkward sharing with someone of faith.
This approach prayerfully fosters building trust and respect in the relationship, building and edifying a foundation for deeper understanding, mutual support.
Not only does this help us engage with compassion, but the person walking away from God may not fully understand their journey yet.
Asking questions encourages self-reflection and introspection, prompting them to articulate their beliefs and values more clearly.
2. Keep Conversation Going
After asking questions to understand better, it’s crucial to maintain an ongoing conversation with those who walk away from the faith, with the goal fostering an atmosphere of openness, understanding, and support.
This approach not only demonstrates our genuine care and concern but also provides an opportunity to journey alongside them through their spiritual struggles and uncertainties.
In Galatians 6:1-2, the apostle Paul exhorts believers,
“Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently. But watch yourselves, or you also may be tempted. Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way, you will fulfill the law of Christ.”
The principle here can apply to entering into their picture, walking alongside our loved ones in their times of spiritual struggle, offering gentle and careful support as they try to sort out how they can again navigate their faith journey.
Many who begin to fall away from the faith may fear losing relationships with family or close friends. Being willing to keep that conversation going assures people we aren’t ending associations or relationships.
Keeping the conversation going involves creating a safe and non-judgmental space for them to express the weight of their doubts, questions, and concerns openly, knowing that they are being heard and they are likewise being valued.
In addition, continuing the conversation allows us to demonstrate our own unconditional love and acceptance, regardless of spiritual beliefs or choices.
This continued conversation provides an opportunity to share our own faith journey and experiences, offering a perspective of hope and encouragement.
3. As much as possible, Stay Involved in Their Lives
Along with keeping the conversation going, we must continue to be active in their life, attending events and always willing to offer support in major areas.
In Hebrews 10:24-25, believers are urged,
“And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.”
By staying involved, we can continue to spur them on toward love and good deeds, offering encouragement and support along the way.
Staying involved in their lives entails remaining present and attentive to their needs, concerns, and experiences.
It involves actively participating in their day-to-day activities, celebrations, and challenges, demonstrating our commitment to walking alongside them through every season of life.
There may be times and decisions we can’t support or attend, but there will be several other opportunities to show we love them.
By investing time and energy in building and nurturing our relationship, we can work to create a safe and supportive environment for them to open up, to share their doubts, questions, and struggles openly.
Staying involved also provides an opportunity to model Christ-like love and compassion in action.
Through completely random acts of kindness, service, and generosity, we can demonstrate the transformative power of the gospel in our lives, inspiring our loved ones to one day re-think, reconsider their faith and draw closer to God.
4. Continue to Invite Them into Your Life
As we stay involved in their lives, we also need to keep inviting them into ours, demonstrating hospitality and acceptance.
In 1 Peter 4:9, believers are encouraged,
“Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling.”
If these are people we genuinely and authentically love, we should demonstrate God’s brand of hospitality and extend God’s brand of kindness and His brand of generosity to them, even if we don’t have even share the same spiritual beliefs.
By inviting them into our lives, we create a welcoming space for them to feel loved, valued, and accepted.
This entails extending invitations to spend time together, share meals, and engage in meaningful conversations.
It involves demonstrating genuine interest and care in their well-being, making them feel included and they are cherished as part of our community and family.
Showing hospitality allows us to cultivate deeper connections and relationships with our loved ones, fostering trust, openness, vulnerability in the relationship.
Furthermore, showing hospitality provides an opportunity to model Christ-like love and compassion in action.
Through random acts of kindness, service, and generosity, we exemplify the transformative power of the gospel in our lives, inspiring our loved ones to re-think and one day reconsider their faith and draw closer to God.
Also, as we keep inviting them to events important to us, our church activities are one of many.
Remember, we can invite them, but that doesn’t ensure they will respond or attend.
However, others may walk away from the faith; we should show love even if they never come back to God.
This hospitality demonstrates our commitment to Christ-like love, as encouraged in 1 Peter 4:9.
1 Peter 4:9-11 The Message
7-11 Everything in the world is about to be wrapped up, so take nothing for granted. Stay wide-awake in prayer. Most of all, love each other as if your life depended on it. Love makes up for practically anything. Be quick to give a meal to the hungry, a bed to the homeless—cheerfully. Be generous with the different things God gave you, passing them around so all get in on it: if words, let it be God’s words; if help, let it be God’s hearty help. That way, God’s bright presence will be evident in everything through Jesus, and he’ll get all the credit as the One mighty in everything—encores to the end of time. Oh, yes!
5. Keep Speaking Truth in Love
Through the previous actions—asking questions, keeping the conversation going, and continuing to be involved in various aspects of life—we will have the trust and relational capital to share truth in love.
In Ephesians 4:15, believers are urged to
“Speak the truth in love.”
The idea isn’t simply to share a Bible verse but to share truth in love.
Love means desiring the best for a person, even at our own expense.
Because we are spiritual beings with an eternal destiny, the greatest love shares truth for eternal good.
Christ revealed this type of love, sacrificing and humbling himself to share the eternal gospel of the Kingdom of God.
We communicate with honesty, sincerity, and compassion, especially when it comes to matters of faith.
By speaking truth in love, we can offer prayerful gentle correction, guidance, and encouragement to our loved ones, helping them navigate their spiritual journey with wisdom and discernment.
We also don’t randomly share verses.
Since we continue having relationships, our conversations, including faith, will be relevant, relatable, and accessible to our loved ones.
With established open conversation, we encourage addressing doubts, questions and struggles with grace.
Additionally, our conversations allow us to confront misconceptions, misunderstandings, falsehoods that may lead our loved ones astray from faith.
Gently guiding them back to the foundational truths of the Bible, we help them rediscover the hope, peace, and joy that come from a vibrant relationship with Christ.
6. Pray Regularly, Pray Ceaselessly
None of this works without prayer.
We must commit to praying regularly for those who have fallen away from the faith, seeking God’s guidance, comfort, and intervention in their lives.
This demonstrates our dependence on God’s power and sovereignty to do his work and acknowledges our loved one’s need for His divine intervention and transformation.
In James 5:16, believers are encouraged,
“Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.”
This biblical exhortation emphasizes the significance of prayer in believers’ lives and underscores the transformative impact of intercession on the spiritual well-being of others.
The verse includes a specific type of person whose prayers are effective—a righteous person.
Our actions and lives must reflect faith, this integrity gives our prayers power.
Praying regularly for our loved ones entails lifting them up before the throne of grace and interceding on their behalf with fervency and perseverance.
It involves an ongoing pouring out of our hearts to God and expressing our concerns, hopes, and our desires for their spiritual restoration and renewal.
Moreover, regular prayer allows us to align our hearts and minds with God’s will, seeking His wisdom, discernment, and guidance in how best to support and encourage our loved ones in their faith journey.
By surrendering our concerns and burdens to God in prayer, we acknowledge he is the one who saves and trusts his perfect timing and plan for their lives.
From the very beginning, people walked away from the faith. Even one of Jesus’ closest disciples, Judas, betrayed him for money. The apostle Paul talks about those who have rejected truth and left the church. In the end, the Bible tells us many will fall away, what many call the Great Apostasy.
Part of living a life of faith is watching others fall away. People who we felt followed Jesus with all their hearts one day reject their faith, usually after a process of compromise and doubt.
A young man I discipled in Christ once sat with me at lunch and admitted he was now an atheist. I appealed to him in love, of course, but he had made up his mind. It broke my heart.
And it should break our hearts. But what should we do about it?
Here are seven things to do when someone you love seems to walk away from the faith.
Photo Credit: @Pexels/Ankit Sihag
1. Ask Questions to Understand
When someone we love appears to be straying from their faith, it’s essential to engage them with compassion and understanding. Begin by asking questions and seeking to understand their perspective and journey better. This method not only demonstrates care and empathy but also provides an opportunity for meaningful dialogue and support. Proverbs 20:5 states,
“The purposes of a person’s heart are deep waters, but one who has insight draws them out.”
We need to prioritize discerning individuals’ underlying motivations and struggles, especially when it comes to matters of faith. By asking questions with genuine curiosity and openness, we can help uncover the root causes behind their doubts or struggles, paving the way for authentic conversation and connection.
Asking questions allows us to listen actively and attentively to their perspective without judgment or condemnation. Instead of imposing our own beliefs or attempting to provide quick solutions, we create a safe space for them to express their thoughts, feelings, and uncertainties openly. Generally, someone giving up on their faith has come to the decision with some grief and great struggle, and they may feel unsure or awkward sharing with someone of faith. This approach fosters trust and respect in the relationship, building a foundation for deeper understanding and support.
Not only does this help us engage with compassion, but the person walking away from God may not fully understand their journey yet. Asking questions encourages self-reflection and introspection, prompting them to articulate their beliefs and values more clearly.
Photo Credit: © Getty Images/fizkes 
2. Keep Conversation Going
After asking questions to understand better, it’s crucial to maintain an ongoing conversation with those who walk away from the faith, fostering an atmosphere of openness, understanding, and support. This approach not only demonstrates our genuine care and concern but also provides an opportunity to journey alongside them through their spiritual struggles and uncertainties. In Galatians 6:1-2, the apostle Paul exhorts believers,
“Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently. But watch yourselves, or you also may be tempted. Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way, you will fulfill the law of Christ.”
The principle here can apply to walking alongside our loved ones in their times of spiritual struggle, offering gentle and careful support as they navigate their faith journey.
Many who begin to fall away from the faith may fear losing relationships with family or close friends. Being willing to keep the conversation going assures people we aren’t ending associations or relationships.
Keeping the conversation going involves creating a safe and non-judgmental space for them to express their doubts, questions, and concerns openly, knowing that they are heard and valued.
In addition, continuing the conversation allows us to demonstrate our unconditional love and acceptance, regardless of their spiritual beliefs or choices. This continued conversation provides an opportunity to share our own faith journey and experiences, offering a perspective of hope and encouragement.
Photo Credit: ©GettyImages/fizkes
3. Stay Involved in Their Lives
Along with keeping the conversation going, we must continue to be active in their life, attending events and willing to offer support in major areas. In Hebrews 10:24-25, believers are urged,
“And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.”
By staying involved, we can continue to spur them on toward love and good deeds, offering encouragement and support along the way. Staying involved in their lives entails remaining present and attentive to their needs, concerns, and experiences. It involves actively participating in their day-to-day activities, celebrations, and challenges, demonstrating our commitment to walking alongside them through every season of life. There may be times and decisions we can’t support or attend, but there will be several other opportunities to show we love them. By investing time and energy in building and nurturing our relationship, we create a safe and supportive environment for them to share their doubts, questions, and struggles openly.
Staying involved also provides an opportunity to model Christ-like love and compassion in action. Through acts of kindness, service, and generosity, we can demonstrate the transformative power of the gospel in our lives, inspiring our loved ones to reconsider their faith and draw closer to God.
Photo Credit: ©Getty Images/Stígur Már Karlsson /Heimsmyndir
4. Continue to Invite Them into Your Life
As we stay involved in their lives, we also need to keep inviting them into ours, demonstrating hospitality and acceptance. In 1 Peter 4:9, believers are encouraged,
“Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling.”
If these are people we love, we should demonstrate hospitality and extend kindness and generosity to them, even if we don’t have the same spiritual beliefs. By inviting them into our lives, we create a welcoming space for them to feel loved, valued, and accepted. This entails extending invitations to spend time together, share meals, and engage in meaningful conversations. It involves demonstrating genuine interest and care in their well-being, making them feel included and cherished as part of our community and family.
Showing hospitality allows us to cultivate deeper connections and relationships with our loved ones, fostering trust, openness, and vulnerability in the relationship. Furthermore, showing hospitality provides an opportunity to model Christ-like love and compassion in action. Through acts of kindness, service, and generosity, we exemplify the transformative power of the gospel in our lives, inspiring our loved ones to reconsider their faith and draw closer to God. Also, as we keep inviting them to events important to us, our church activities are one of many.
Remember, we can invite them, but that doesn’t ensure they will respond or attend. However, others may walk away from the faith; we should show love even if they never come back to God. This hospitality demonstrates our commitment to Christ-like love, as encouraged in 1 Peter 4:9.
Photo Credit: ©GettyImages/william87
5. Keep Speaking Truth in Love
Through the previous actions—asking questions, keeping the conversation going, and continuing to be involved in various aspects of life—we will have the trust and relational capital to share truth in love. In Ephesians 4:15, believers are urged to
“Speak the truth in love.”
The idea isn’t simply to share a Bible verse but to share truth in love. Love means desiring the best for a person, even at our own expense. Because we are spiritual beings with an eternal destiny, the greatest love shares truth for eternal good. Christ revealed this type of love, sacrificing and humbling himself to share the eternal gospel of the Kingdom of God. We communicate with honesty, sincerity, and compassion, especially when it comes to matters of faith. By speaking truth in love, we can offer gentle correction, guidance, and encouragement to our loved ones, helping them navigate their spiritual journey with wisdom and discernment.
We also don’t randomly share verses. Since we continue having relationships, our conversations, including faith, will be relevant, relatable, and accessible to our loved ones. With established open conversation, we encourage addressing doubts, questions and struggles with grace. Additionally, our conversations allow us to confront misconceptions, misunderstandings, and falsehoods that may lead our loved ones astray from faith. Gently guiding them back to the foundational truths of the Bible, we help them rediscover the hope, peace, and joy that come from a vibrant relationship with Christ.
Photo Credit: ©GettyImages/Morsa Images
6. Pray Regularly
None of this works without prayer. We must commit to praying regularly for those who have fallen away from the faith, seeking God’s guidance, comfort, and intervention in their lives. This demonstrates our dependence on God’s power and sovereignty to do his work and acknowledges our loved one’s need for divine intervention and transformation. In James 5:16, believers are encouraged,
“Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.”
This biblical exhortation emphasizes the significance of prayer in believers’ lives and underscores the transformative impact of intercession on the spiritual well-being of others. The verse includes a specific type of person whose prayers are effective—a righteous person. Our actions and lives must reflect faith, and this integrity gives our prayers power.
Praying regularly for our loved ones entails lifting them up before the throne of grace and interceding on their behalf with fervency and perseverance. It involves pouring out our hearts to God and expressing our concerns, hopes, and desires for their spiritual restoration and renewal.
Moreover, regular prayer allows us to align our hearts and minds with God’s will, seeking His wisdom, discernment, and guidance in how best to support and encourage our loved ones in their faith journey. By surrendering our concerns and burdens to God in prayer, we acknowledge he is the one who saves and trusts his perfect timing and plan for their lives.
Photo Credit: ©GettyImages/fizkes
7. Don’t Give Up Hope
Paul, when describing the divine love of God, finishes with love, hopes, and believes all things (1 Corinthians 13).
There is still hope in God.
Romans 15:1-6 New American Standard Bible 1995
Self-denial on Behalf of Others
15 Now we who are strong ought to bear the weaknesses of those without strength and not just please ourselves. 2 Each of us is to please his neighbor [a] for his good, to his edification. 3 For even Christ did not please Himself; but as it is written, “The reproaches of those who reproached You fell on Me.” 4 For whatever was written in earlier times was written for our instruction, so that through perseverance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. 5 Now may the God [b]who gives perseverance and encouragement grant you to be of the same mind with one another according to Christ Jesus, 6 so that with one accord you may with one [c] voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
It’s essential not to give up hope on people but instead to persistently extend invitations and offer resources that may help reignite their spiritual journey.
This approach demonstrates our unwavering commitment to their well-being and also acknowledges the transformative power of community and spiritual guidance.
In Hebrews 10:24-25, believers are encouraged,
“And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.”
Through maintaining fellowship and community, especially in times of spiritual struggle, we continue to engage and create opportunities to show and share the love of Christ.
As time goes on, it becomes easy to give up on a person on a destructive path.
However, God doesn’t give up on us, even when we continue in our rebellion.
Remember the story of the Prodigal Son?
The younger son technically wished his father (God) dead and wanted his inheritance now. As final as that seemed, the father in the story was waiting at the window, expectantly, for the son to return. There’s always hope with God.
Through our relationship with them, we can exhibit this continual hope in God’s work and love. We can only accomplish this through his power and Spirit.
We have all walked away from the Father at some point or another; each of us rebels against God and is deserving of wrath and rejection.
However, God is love; in that abundant love, he bestowed mercy and grace upon us, reaching out to us and saving us by his power.
Lamentations 3:19-23 New American Standard Bible 1995
Hope of Relief in God’s Mercy
19 Remember my affliction and my [a]wandering, the wormwood and bitterness.
20 Surely my soul remembers
And is bowed down within me.
21 This I recall to my mind,
Therefore I have hope.
22 The Lord’s lovingkindnesses [b]indeed never cease,
For His compassions never fail.
23 They are new every morning;
Great is Your faithfulness.
We couldn’t save ourselves; neither can we save anyone else.
Salvation belongs to God alone.
Repentance and faith are both spoken of as gifts in the Bible (2 Timothy 2:25; Ephesians 2:8-9), granted by the Father.
Let us pray for those we love, God will grant them the gifts of repentance and faith, and when they return, we will receive them back as sons and daughters once again.
It may take awhile to feel close to God again, especially if we cannot worship God with his people.
But God is always with us, watching over us. Our souls are in his hands. Our own destiny is safe in his care. Like the psalmist, we can keep reminding ourselves of these good truths in faith. We can praise the Lord, for he is our Savior and God.
In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,
Let us Pray,
Psalm 23 New American Standard Bible 1995
The Lord, the Psalmist’s Shepherd.
A Psalm of David.
23 The Lord is my shepherd,
I [a]shall not want.
2 He makes me lie down in green pastures;
He leads me beside [b]quiet waters.
3 He restores my soul;
He guides me in the [c]paths of righteousness
For His name’s sake.
4 Even though I walk through the [d]valley of the shadow of death,
I fear no [e]evil, for You are with me;
Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.
5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;
You [f]have anointed my head with oil;
My cup overflows.
6 [g]Surely goodness and lovingkindness will follow me all the days of my life,
And I will [h]dwell in the house of the Lord [i]forever.
Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.
Loving God, Living God, Loving Hope, Living Hope, Loving Living Life His Way! "Many things are possible for the person who has hope. Even more is possible for the person who has faith. And still more is possible for the person who knows how to love. But everything is possible for the person who practices all three virtues." - Brother Lawrence (1605-1691), Practicing the Presence of God (1692). 