“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 43:5
When was the last time you were discouraged? Notice I said When was…, not Have you ever been… I didn’t say If you are ever discouraged… I said when because the truth is, discouragement will happen in this life. I don’t say this in a “Debbie Downer" way. Actually, I tend to be a naturally optimistic person. It’s just that the reality is, it would be silly to pretend discouragement isn’t a part of life. We all have to endure hardship. We will all go through seasons of discouragement for one reason or another. It’s key to remember that Jesus Himself stated that we will all face many trials and sorrows in this life (John 16:33). Without a doubt, we can count on experiencing times of battling with feelings of hopelessness, lost confidence, waning enthusiasm, joylessness, confusion, etc. So what do we do when we face moments of discouragement?
There are many beautiful, helpful lessons from the Psalms. One thing I truly appreciate about various prayers in the Psalms is that they are so raw and honest. Obviously, a large portion of the 150 Psalms are super worshipful. Several of the Psalms are reflective, taking time to ponder the greatness of God. But also, let’s not forget the Psalms that are authentic prayers of struggle, prayers of desperation, prayers of those who were battling depression, hardship, uncertainty, anger, and discouragement. Clearly, the author of Psalm 43 was facing a difficult time; yet it is noteworthy to think about what he did with the discouragement as he prayed. Let’s reread Psalm 43:5 which says, “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!”
What can we learn from this genuine prayer? First of all, it’s always healthy to be honest with God. He knows exactly what is going on in and around each of us. Nothing is a surprise to Him. God wants us to come to Him authentically in prayer, including bringing Him our discouragement. We can, and should, come to God with our questions, frustrations, and uncertainty. Second, although the Psalmist acknowledged his feelings of discouragement and sadness, he didn’t remain in the “dark place”; he wisely turned to God for hope. He realized that his hope was in God who was and is over and above it all! Along these lines, I love what Corrie Ten Boom insightfully said about looking to God when facing the dark: “When a train goes through a tunnel and it gets dark, you don’t throw away the ticket and jump off. You sit still and trust the engineer.” It is essential that we put our trust and hope in The Engineer of the universe! Finally, we read in Psalm 43:5, “I will praise Him again — my Savior and my God!” The Psalmist not only took his burdens to God, acknowledging where true hope comes from, but then he turned from confessing discouragement to proclaiming God’s praises! We’d be wise to do likewise as we face days of discouragement.
Lord, as we walk thru the difficult times of life, help us to always go to You first and foremost, bringing our pain and trusting You as The Source of hope. All the praise is Yours! In Jesus’ name, amen.
Cheer up, friends!
-Scott