I greet you in Jesus’ precious name! It is Thursday morning, the 5th of September, 2024, and this is your friend, Angus Buchan, with a thought for today.

We start in Old Testament in the Book of Lamentations 1:20-21:

“See, O Lord, that I am in distress; My soul is troubled;…They have heard that I sigh, But no one comforts me.”

Then we go to Psalm 42:5:

“Why are you cast down, O my soul?
And why are you disquieted within me?
Hope in God, for I shall yet praise Him
For the help of His countenance.”

Now, you know, the interesting thing there, my dear friend, is that we read this scripture from Psalm 42 - it is written twice in Psalm 42 - in verse 11 as well. Then we go to Psalm 43 and it is written yet again, three times on two pages. People are distressed, people are troubled. I looked up the Oxford Dictionary to look up the meaning of the word “Distress” It means “extreme unhappiness”, and it means to be “heartbroken.” Now, you and I need to show more love and more compassion to people who are hurting. Please never say to a hurting and distressed person that you understand, unless you have been there yourself, because they can see right through you. Rather put your arm around them, weep with them, sit with them and just be quiet. What they need desperately is hope. 

Faith is for the present and hope is for the future. Reassure them that this life is very temporal. It is not going to last, we are passing through, we are sojourners. We are going home. Tell them about the life to come, speak to them about Heaven. You know, Jesus spoke so much about His heavenly home. Paul, the great apostle said, in Philippians 1:21:

“For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain.”

You can’t frighten a Christian with Heaven. If we live, we live for Jesus, if we die, we go home. I see some of these top sportsmen in the changing room before they go out onto the field, banging their heads up against the wall to get psyched up!  You and I don’t have to do that. What we need to do is go for a good walk, sit somewhere in a quiet place, and have a heart-to-heart chat with Jesus. Tell Him about your troubles, tell Him about your distressed moments and then leave it in His capable hands, and you will feel so much better. That is what I do. Have a good chat with the Lord and He will reassure you that He will sort it all out in due time.

Jesus bless you and have a wonderful day,
Goodbye.