<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" standalone="yes"?><oembed><version><![CDATA[1.0]]></version><provider_name><![CDATA[Irresistibly Fish]]></provider_name><provider_url><![CDATA[https://brettfish.wordpress.com]]></provider_url><author_name><![CDATA[brettfish]]></author_name><author_url><![CDATA[https://brettfish.wordpress.com/author/brettfish/]]></author_url><title><![CDATA[psalmthing to chew on: psalm&nbsp;43]]></title><type><![CDATA[link]]></type><html><![CDATA[<p>this is a short psalm with one of the most powerful endings&#8230; in the middle of what is clearly a lonely, worrying, desolate time, still the psalmist realises and remembers where his hope lies and that is with God and so he pleads his case, ending with:</p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><strong><em>&#8216;Why, my soul, are you downcast?<br />
Why so disturbed within me?<br />
Put your hope in God,<br />
for I will yet praise him,<br />
my Savior and my God.&#8217; [vs.5]</em></strong></p>
<p style="text-align:left;">the word &#8216;yet&#8217; is very powerful for me here &#8211; even though circumstances may not give the look or feel that God is in control, my response is still going to be to praise Him, because deep within me i know that i know that i KNOW that He is faithful and can bring good out of any circumstances.</p>
<p style="text-align:left;">i am reminded of two of Job&#8217;s early prayers/statements:</p>
<p><em>&#8216;At this, Job got up and tore his robe and shaved his head. Then he fell to the ground in worship <sup>21 </sup>and said:</em></p>
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<p><em>&#8216;“Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I will depart. </em><br />
<em>The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised.”</em></p>
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<p><em>In all this, Job did not sin by charging God with wrongdoing.&#8217; [Job 1.20-22]</em></p>
<p><em>&#8216;His wife said to him, “Are you still maintaining your integrity? Curse God and die!”</em></p>
<p><em><sup> </sup>He replied, “You are talking like a foolish woman. Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble?”</em></p>
<p><em>In all this, Job did not sin in what he said.&#8217; [Job 2.9-10]</em></p>
<p style="text-align:left;">and Romans 8.28:</p>
<p style="text-align:left;"><em>&#8216;And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.&#8217;</em></p>
<p style="text-align:left;">where does your hope lie?</p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><a href="https://brettfish.wordpress.com/bible"><strong>[To return to the Intro page and be connected to any of the other Psalms i have walked through before now, click here]</strong></a></p>
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