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 42:5a.
The Christian life is not a panacea for all that ails us. We continue to experience the ups and downs that are brought about by the harsh realities of life we face day by day. Sometimes the pressures of life just plain get us down. Like David we may feel discouraged, tired, or sad. We may be even more sensitive to these emotions for the very fact that they are not all that common for us. We do experience and live in the joy of the Lord. But like David, there comes a time when discouragement or sadness hits. Like David we need to identify it and acknowledge it. We need to be honest and real.
Fortunately David gives the answer and solution. We need to respond to these times as he did. He turned to his hope in God. He refocused his thought and attention to his Savior and his God and he focused on praising Him. This mind “reset” is necessary. When the hope we have in the promises of God fill our thoughts and hearts; sadness, depression, or discouragement will not long survive. David knew what disappointment and failure was like, yet he knew that turning to God was his delight. It can be our delight as well, if we will access it.
Personal reflection: Are you feeling down? Maybe you are discouraged or hopeless. Stand firm in the promises of God. Turn your thoughts and praise to Him, He will lift you up.