Ever felt like this? “God has demolished me on every side, and I am finished. He has uprooted my hope like a fallen tree.” (Job 19:10)
What does ‘uproot’ mean? The dictionary gives three primary definitions:
1. To pull out by the roots.
2. To remove violently or tear away from a native place or environment.
3. To destroy or eradicate as if by pulling out roots.
Uprooting happens to plants and trees (what I am doing in my garden this spring), it happens to people groups (like the poor victims of the current Russia/Ukraine war), and it happens to individuals. When hope is gone, people are discouraged, upset, enraged, or depressed. Seems like life is not very nice to most people I know. What do you do?
Here’s an effective antidote worth considering: “Why am I discouraged? Why is my heart so sad? I will put my hope in God! I will praise Him again— my Savior and my God! (Psalm 42:11) The psalm writer says that even when you feel like God has uprooted you, the sure way to walk out of that doldrum is to return, through song, to God who gives hope.
How about singing a song (hum a tune if you’re conscious of your surroundings) when feeling low and out? The thought of singing while down might not be appealing, but worth trying. Growing up in my church’s Pathfinders Club, we recited this Pathfinder Law: Keep a song in my heart. I have wondered many times if this law applies to adults as well, since sadness, rage, pain, and despair know no age limit.
Friend: do you feel like your hope has been uprooted? Please sing a song and try trusting God. Life might turn out for the better. Have a nice day! —
Jeba Moses