When our ambitions and goals have been broken, how can we find peace?
Life quickly teaches us that our fantasies rarely come true. We can sometimes find ourselves in gloomy areas as a result of difficult , unpleasant and traumatic events.

Read Psalms 88 and Psalms 107.

Some of us have enemies that reside with us. Have you ever felt defeated? What causes us to grow discouraged? Discouragement can also be caused by a physical problem. We’re simply exhausted from working for too long and too hard without taking a break. Perhaps a physical ailment causes us to be depressed and discouraged. Another source of discouragement is our tendency to be overly idealistic.
People attempt to deal with spiritual despair in a variety of ineffective ways. Many people divert their attention to other activities in the hopes of finding fulfillment. Unfortunately, some people turn to drugs, alcohol, or adultery. All of this merely adds to their sense of despair. A few people grow so depressed that they commit suicide.

If you’re coping with or anticipating uncomfortable change, consider the following questions as you spend time with God:

Lord, what am I to do now?

Why does this bother me this much, Lord?

In this situation, what is my worst fear and what is my ego about? Lord, how do you want me to feel about your love and grace during this time?

Whenever we vent out our emotions to God,and summon the confidence to ask, “What do you want me to do now, Lord?” we can expect a response. He will communicate with us through someone else, our circumstances, his commands (rarely), or his Word, the Bible.

In these cases, we need to

1. Set aside any sinful behaviors.
   “Let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us (Hebrews 12:1).
   Obstacles can appear in our path as a result of our wicked or carnal choices. Believers are no longer bound by sin, yet we could choose to stay in sin because it gives us temporary pleasure.  We need to stop sinning.

2) Put your faith in God to overcome obstacles

“Surely God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid. The Lord, the Lord himself, is my strength and my defense; he has become my salvation” (Isaiah 12:2).

3. Deal with negativity and strongholds in our thinking
Because “being optimistic is a setup for disappointment, and being pessimistic is a dreadful way to live,” we are to be Realists. Being realistic allows me to view things for what they are.” —

To maintain a clear perspective, we must:

Keep our flaws in context.
“There is no one on earth who does what is right all of the time and never makes a mistake,” the Bible says. (Good News Translation of Ecclesiastes 7:20)
We need to work on your flaws, but don’t expect us to be flawless.

Avoid comparisons.
Galatians 5:26

Be a mediator.
Romans 12:18. You may not be able to completely control the acts of others, but you can control how you react to them. You have the option of being peaceful.

Develop a sense of thankfulness.
Colossians 3:15.
A grateful attitude will assist you in focusing on the positive aspects of your life. Recognize your challenges, but don’t lose sight of the positive aspects of your life.

Take a look at your friendships.
The Bible says: “Bad associations spoil useful habits.” (1 Corinthians 15:33) When you spend time with people who are critical, cynical, or bitter, you will pick up on their bad tendencies. Be realistic; friends will have challenges and may become pessimistic about their lives for a period of time. Support them, but don’t become consumed by their problems. “We shouldn’t spend all of our time with negative people.

Biblical Truth:

Psalm 32:8, “The LORD says, ‘I will guide you along the best pathway for your life. I will advise you and watch over you.'” (NLT)

REFLECT ON YOUR ACTIONS AND RESPOND:
Which aspect of your life lacks direction: your marriage, kids, profession, or health?

Have you ever felt as if God was a long way away?

When did you feel the most hopeless in your life? Did you keep praying during those times?

Consider moments when you’ve felt the need to moan. How did you deal with it? What would you have to modify in order to follow Scripture’s instructions?

Who is the antidote to our gloom?

Read 1 Corinthians 4:16-18 and consider the future promise. What should we look at and why should we look at it?

What options do people who are depressed, disappointed or suicidal have?

Why is it so tough to act on those possibilities when you’re depressed?

Why might it be especially difficult to act on those options while depressed? How difficult is it for you to exercise the option of trusting God in these times?

In a fictional conversation with a friend that is suffering, how would you reply to the following question:If trusting God won’t bring me out of my circumstance, what good would it do?

The majority of the Bible’s authors have gone through a lot of grief and difficulty. James 1:2-8, 1 Peter 1:3-9, and Thessalonians 5:16-19 are the texts to read. What advice do these authors have for someone going through a difficult time?

This is a guided study.  You should carefully consider these questions while reflecting on psalm 33.

Psalm 33:9 For He spoke, and it came to be; He commanded, and it stood firm. For he spoke, and it came to be; he commanded, and it stood firm

For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him.”  ~Colossians 1:16

“All things were made by him; and without him was not anything made that was made.”

He created everything for himself. Did you pay attention to what I just said?

That includes me…and you…and our kids…and their kids…and your wonderful neighbor…and your not-so-nice neighbor…and the arrogant politician…and the outraged news anchor…and the moody adolescent…and the addict…and the abusers…and, well, you get the picture.

For “from heaven the LORD looks down and sees ALL mankind;  from His dwelling place He WATCHES all who live on the earth-  He who forms the HEARTS of all, who considers everything they do…”
(Psalm 33:13-15)

This suggests that we must rely on God rather than man.

The LORD is good.  He is faithful.  He is right and true.
And the earth is FULL of His unfailing love.
“The plans of the LORD stand firm forever, the purposes of HIS HEART through all generations” (Psalm 33:11).

Why should we praise God?

Praising God encompasses worshiping or boasting about God’s attributes and acts. We believe satisfaction is conditional, yet the Psalms show us that joy can be found in any situation. Because joy comes from knowing God’s work in the past, his plan for the present, and his power over the future, this study looks at ways to discover joy in every aspect of life. We learn more about how to worship God and the rewards of doing so in this sermon from Psalms. We praise God for His sovereignty, answered prayers, and his works. The joy of the Lord comes into our life when we focus on praising God rather than whining.

God does not want us to live our lives saying, “Woe is me, look at what I’ve got to deal with.” Nobody wants to be around someone like that. “God is amazing, and He will help me through what I’m going through

 right now,” is the perfect response. The alternative is to whine about

 how horrible things are in life.

 a) I understand that in tough times, it is difficult to not focus on one’s problems. Even though we are counting on God to see us through trouble, we don’t know how He will.

b)   When we recognize how God has aided us in overcoming obstacles, we must praise and thank Him. This psalm instructs us to thank God for assisting us in overcoming adversity.

Is this to imply that we should only give thanks to God when nothing goes wrong? Clearly not. It also doesn’t mean we should wait until our lives are perfect before expressing our thankfulness to Him. It simply states God wants us to approach life with a positive attitude, confident in the knowledge that He is with us and will see us through anything we face.

Let’s face it, no one likes listening to people complain most of the time. We must continue to worship God and trust he will see us through when facing adversity. If our difficulties are still in front of us, rather than grumbling, we praise God for the fact that He can and does rescue us from them, and that He will be with us throughout them. Even in difficult times, we can praise Him in the same way. Put a smile on your face, jump for pleasure, and enjoy these two psalms, which emphasize how and when we should worship God, as well as “why” we should.

Psalm 33 is a joyful song that invites people to worship and gather in celebration. The audience is encouraged to use many techniques to convey their joy. Every instrument has the potential to be a joyful instrument. God is certainly worthy of our highest praise. But how can we show joy if we aren’t happy, especially during difficult times? Because our circumstances are constantly changing, we must find joy in God.

Introductory Questions