Cindy Powell

This past week, my heart wasn’t feeling very brave. My faith didn’t seem particularly steadfast. And, honestly, my soul was down and discouraged.

But sometimes you just gotta tell your soul what to do.

So I did. In fact, that’s what I’ve had to do a lot in recent months. I’ve had to tell my soul exactly what it will and will not do. I’ve had to discipline my feelings and let them know that regardless of how they’d like to act out, they will bow to the truth. I’ve had to remind myself, over and over again, what I really believe. Because when I forget (and I do), it isn’t pretty.

That’s what the Psalmist did in Psalm 42 (and again in Ps. 43). In the midst of his heartbreak, he caught a spark of faith. Right in the middle of recounting his woes, he decided to refocus and tell his soul what to do:

Why am I discouraged?
Why is my heart so sad?
I will put my hope in God!
I will praise him again—
 my Savior and  my God!
-Psalm  42:5

Jeremiah did the same thing in Lamentations 3. After pouring out his heart regarding extreme hardship and heartache that seemed beyond his ability to bear, he suddenly stopped to remember God’s faithfulness:

Yet I still dare to hope
when I remember this:

The faithful love of the Lord never ends!
 His mercies never cease.
Great is his faithfulness;
his mercies begin afresh each morning.
 I say to myself, “The Lord is my inheritance;
 therefore, I will hope in him!”
-Lamentations 3:21-24

Notice that neither Jeremiah nor the Psalmist denied their circumstances. They didn’t deny the reality of what they were feeling and experiencing. Heartbreak, disappointment, discouragement, fear, loss, and a whole host of other challenges, can be painful realities in our lives…

But His love and faithfulness is a much higher and greater reality. 

In a post a month or so ago, I shared a link to Kristene DiMarco’s amazing song Take Courage. (I’ve posted the link again at the end of this one.) I can’t even begin to tell you what a sweet kiss from heaven (and sometimes a swift kick in the pants!) this song has been over the past couple of months. It is exactly what I’ve needed to remind my soul to do:

Slow down, take time
Breathe in, he said
He’d reveal what’s to come

The thoughts in his mind
Always higher than mine
He’ll reveal all to come

Take courage my heart
Stay steadfast my soul
He’s in the waiting
He’s in the waiting

Hold onto your hope
As your triumph unfolds
He’s never failing
He’s never failing

Sing praise my soul
Find strength in joy
Let his words lead you on

Do not forget
His great faithfulness
He’ll finish all he’s begun

And you who hold the stars
Who call them each by name
Will surely keep your promise to me
That I will rise in your victory

From “Take Courage” by Kristene DiMarco

The lyrics are a powerful, profound, and timely declaration of truth to a Body that has, at times, grown just a bit weary. I know it is truth that my soul needs to be immersed in again and again (and again and again).

So I’m telling my soul what to do. I’m telling my soul what to believe. I’m reminding myself that:

He is in the waiting. In fact, He has hidden facets of Himself in the waiting as priceless treasures to be uncovered.

He is never failing. Never. As in never, ever. And He will finish all He’s begun.

I will sing praise. I will find strength in joy. He will keep His promises to me.

And I will rise in His victory.

So will you. 

“Miracles happen…when we fix our eyes…on Jesus Christ.”

We will rise in His victory because it’s already secure. It’s already finished. We can’t lose…

Because He’s already won.  

“Take courage my heart…stay steadfast my soul…He’s in the waiting.”