Friday, August 11, 2023
Well-Placed Hope
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 42:5-6 NLT)
Have you ever been working on your computer when things suddenly froze up? You needed a reboot to get everything working again.
In our life as Christians, sometimes we need a reboot too. We need a refresh because we’re feeling down.
This isn’t strictly a modern phenomenon, by the way. The psalmist wrote, “My heart is breaking as I remember how it used to be: I walked among the crowds of worshipers, leading a great procession to the house of God, singing for joy and giving thanks amid the sound of a great celebration!” (Psalm 42:4 NLT).
He continued, “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!” But then the psalmist shifted gears and essentially preached to himself, saying, “Now I am deeply discouraged, but I will remember you” (verses 5–7 NLT).
I’ve found myself doing that. I’ll feel down, so I will quote Scripture to myself, sometimes out loud.
Do you need some spiritual refreshment today? Ephesians 5 reminds us to “be filled with the Holy Spirit” (verse 18 NLT). In the original language, this is a command. It also implies that it’s continuous. Effectively, God is saying, “I command you each day to be filled with the Holy Spirit.” The Holy Spirit brings refreshment into our lives every day.
And remember that even when things look bleak, all things ultimately will work together for God’s glory and your good (see Romans 8:28). God is in control of all circumstances that surround the believer.
We read in the Book of Job that before Satan could bring hardships into Job’s life, he first had to get permission from God. And the same is true of you. God knows what you can handle. And because He loves you, He’s always keeping His eye on you.
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Grief is one of life’s most difficult challenges. Pastor Greg Laurie experienced this truth when his son Christopher passed away suddenly. Discover comfort and healing in times of pain as you read his book Hope for Hurting Hearts. Receive your copy as our gift for your donation of any amount to Harvest Ministries this month.
