Feeding a Hungry Soul: Promise of His Presence

Psalm 42:5
Why are you in despair, O my soul?
And why have you become disturbed within me?
Hope in God, for I shall again praise Him
For the help of His presence.

I was brought to this verse the other day as I was sitting at His table and I found myself pausing to meditate over these words...."I shall again praise Him for the help of His presence".

How many times do I focus on tangible answers to prayer (resolution, problems fixed, healing received, etc....) and forget to recognize the gift of His Presence?

In a world now driven by 'instant gratification', I am reminded that I need to take time at the table and...

praise God for simply being with me
thank God for the gift of fellowship given through the blood of Jesus
exalt God for not forsaking me

I think a good question to ask myself each time I'm feeling stressed, fearful, overwhelmed, confused or consumed with doubting thoughts, is the one this Psalmist asked himself....

Why are you in despair, O my soul?

Why are you disturbed?

{The definition of despair is 'to lose hope'.}

If I let the circumstances of my life cause me to despair...BE WITHOUT HOPE...then my relationship with God is more like a relationship I might have with a vending machine.

Put my money in (aka: prayer request)
Pull the lever (aka: pray in the power of the name of Jesus)
Pick up my candy bar (aka: be able to point to the result of my prayer request)

If a vending machine does not deliver what I asked for, I get upset and eventually stop putting my money into it if it continues to fails to deliver.

Perhaps I need to realize that sometimes when I pull the lever,

what He delivers at that moment in time is

HIS PRESENCE.

Yes Lord.

I praise You for the

Help of YOUR PRESENCE!

When things happen that I don't understand, it is HIS PRESENCE that comforts me.
When His answer to a prayer is 'not now', it is HIS PRESENCE that sustains me.
When I want to see the long term solution to financial struggles right now, but He is asking me to trust Him one day at a time, it is HIS PRESENCE that calms me.
When I pray for healing and it does not come immediately, it is HIS PRESENCE that gives me strength to wait.

Time spent at His table each day is when I am most reminded of the hope I am given through the gift of His presence. When I fail to take time to fellowship with God, I lose sight of His presence and am easily overwhelmed by the chaos of life around met.

All things will work for His glory, in His time.

Meanwhile,

I am given the gift of His presence

while He asks me to wait.

I am not alone.

By the blood of Christ...I am not alone.

Prayer:

Lord God, I come to you with a thankful heart. No matter how the world swirls around me; no matter how difficult my current circumstances are; no matter how heartbroken I am at this very moment... I am not alone. You are with me. While I may be seeking real answers to real problems or issues, I can rejoice in Your presence while You work out the answers to Your glory, in Your time. I confess that I sometimes fall into despair, letting my soul lose sight of the hope You give. Yet You never leave me. You never forsake me. You stay with me and wait for me to look up and seek Your face. And once again I am reminded that my hope is found in the gift of Your presence; in Your unfailing love. Thank You Lord. I come before You in the name of my Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.

Our recipe today is for HOPE...found in the Promise of His Presence

The ingredients are from Psalm 42:5

The directions are Spend time in His presence, know you are not alone and give Him praise for that gift of His presence.

{CLICK HERE for a printable version of today's recipe for the soul. Make notes on it of how God is speaking to you today, and carry it with you to feed your soul as needed.}

Other conversations held at His table that may feed your soul today...
Hope in His Unfailing Love
What Are You Looking At?
His Words of Unfailing Love

I'd love to have you at the table each time I pull up a chair.
If you don't already, won't you join us?

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God Bless and Keep You,