Pastor's Column 7/5/2026

PASTOR’S COLUMN

⁸   “Will He never be kind to me? Is His unfailing love gone forever^{?   9}   Have His promises permanently failed?  Has God forgotten to be gracious?  Has He slammed the door on His compassion? Interlude ¹⁰  And I said, “This is my fate; the Most High has turned His hand against me.” ¹¹  But then I recall all you have done, O Lord; I remember your wonderful deeds of long ago. ¹²  They are constantly in my thoughts. I cannot stop thinking about your mighty works.”          Psalm 77; 8-12, NLT

“It Isn’t Over Yet!”

We often think the worst when we assume our situation is forgotten. Because of our emotions, it does matter how we feel. We have been created as thinking and feeling people. This dual nature can make us healthy; or, if not balanced, we could become distanced, disillusioned or depressed. Our feelings emerge from the core of our hearts.  We are encouraged and warned in Proverbs 4:23: “Keep the heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.” (KJV)  The doubts and fears that take people to the place of despair have been communicated inwardly. In speaking to a group, Jesus said: “Listen … and try to understand, it’s not what goes into your mouth that defiles you; you are defiled by  the words that come out of your mouth.” (Matthew 15:9b – 11, NLT). This is important because the winds of disheartening news that come our way, cannot take us away from what causes us to remain confident in God. In Psalm 77, we hear the shrill voice of  Asaph who was at the brink of losing all hope. From what we perceive in the verses  of the psalm, Asaph feels God has ignored him, The conversation is not an attack on God, but an expression of feelings directed toward God. The psalmist is really seeking to understand where he stands with God in view of his strong faith in God. Sometimes we too will have our questions. But there’s always a moment of pause  when we will assuredly remember God has been and is still with us! Inward struggles cannot fully isolate us from God.