Our scripture this morning is Psalms 42:11.
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!
As we have learned, the Psalms express the entire range of human emotions. We hear of our deepest fears and our greatest joy, being connected to our Creator. In this short Psalm we find despair is overcome by putting our hope in God.
This phrase in verse 11 is also written as verse 5, a chorus as it were, following an outpouring of sadness over Jerusalem being overrun. It speaks of the beauty and joy that were part of their lives before the destruction of the city and the temple by the army of Babylon.
While the psalmist expresses grief for the loss, the end of each section returns to the hope we have in our Heavenly Father and His ability to restore all things according to His will. God can put His joy back in our hearts when we turn to Him for help, repenting of our wrongdoing and following His ways.
Loving Lord, when we experience loss and hurt, You are there to console and restore us. Help us to share Your love with those who suffer that they may be made whole in You. Amen.
