Troubles came at David so powerfully that he thought he would collapse. He prayed, “Have mercy on me, O Lord, for I am in trouble; my eye wastes away with grief, yes, my soul and my body!” (Psalm 31:9).
Some people right now are facing a flood of fears. Multitudes of elderly people are living on starvation means. Parents grieve over children who are drawn away by drug and alcohol-addicted friends. Couples have mounting mortgage payments, troubled marriages, bills piling up. The root cause of soul sickness is when your troubles go on and on, when events get worse, when your soul cries out to God for help, and there seems to be no answer. Soul sickness is to know the Lord, to love him, to pray and even to shed tears, and still he does not seem to be there.
David said his troubles became so overwhelming and his soul was so cast down that “I cannot even speak.” In other words, “I have cried so much there are no tears left. All I can see now is despair in the days ahead.” If you relate to this at all, I have hopeful news for you. Here are simple biblical truths that can heal your soul sickness:
Keep praying, even when the situation worsens. God is going to answer in his time, in ways you could not imagine. The hardest part of faith is the last half hour just before the answer comes.
Do not get mad at God! All unbelief and impatience imply that the Lord has picked you out of the masses in the world and made you the object of cruelty and harassment. God forbid! If he were to shut his ear to your cries, he would be a fraud; and he is not. He is your almighty, loving, forgiving Father.
Shake off fear because it’s a torment. Instead, rest in his promises. All things do work together for good to them that love God and are called according to his purpose. Look up. God will never fail you!