Psalm 119:28

"I weep with grief; encourage me by your word."

As I meditate on Psalm 119 verse by verse, I realize just how bi-polar the Psalmist sounds. One verse, he is on top of the world. The next verse, he has sunk to the deepest pit.

Where do we go when we need encouragement? What do we do when sadness, frustration, and grief overwhelm us? The Bible gives us story after story of regular people who were faced with obstacles, defeat, injury, setbacks, and death. While the Bible never seems to answer the question, "Why do bad things happen to good people?," it does give us examples of how we should live and respond during those circumstances. The book of Job shows us the life of a man who endures horrible circumstances. The book of Habakkuk shows us how to respond when God's actions don't seem to match his character and his promises.

One of my favorite passages from the life of David is found in 1 Samuel 30:6. David has returned home from battle with his army to discover that the Amalekites had destroyed their town and taken their families. Scriptures tells us that David "encouraged himself in the Lord." (KJV). Allow the Word of God to encourage you in every area of life.