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. O my God, my soul is cast down within me; therefore I will remember (Psalm 42:5-6).  

My subject borrows boxing imagery to express what I believe is the psalmist’s feelings in the midst of a trial of great magnitude! His lack of calm and sense of uneasiness are overwhelming. Everyone comes to a place in life when he or she experiences anxiety and hopelessness, a beating that does not ease up, but relentlessly pounds away while you hang on the ropes hoping to be propped up for one more round of battering trials! The trials of life are certain to come, but when they do, one must have a source and know that that source is his/her supply. Ropes are our man-made solutions that only last for a short duration.

In this psalm, the writer expresses a situation that all of us will go through. In his situation, he was very disquieted, restless, and uncertain of the outcome. Then he immediately went to his source: God! The Lord must be our source, or we will resort to earthly resources. Many do so because it does not require faith but a “can-do” spirit which often gets us into great trouble. In the first verse of this psalm, the writer shows us that he had a need for God and sought Him. “As the deer pants for the water brooks, so pants my soul for You, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God” (Psalm 42:1)? As the Psalmist does, so should we. He sought the Lord with a genuine thirst such as a deer in the desert, desperately searching for water knowing that without it he will be consumed! Whatever you are dealing with, know that hope in the Lord is your sustaining water!

Hope in Him is faith’s target! Hope in the Jesus is never wasted! He will see you through! His faithfulness never fails!

Pastor Don