Wednesday, August 20, 2014

Finding Hope in Despair

     Psalm 42 is filled with words of despair and heartache and cryingout to God. God can take all of our feelings and fears, our worries and weakness and there we find hope. As we read through the Psalms and hear David’s voice in the singing, the praises, the despair, the cries for forgiveness, we hear the humanity of life.

     Even in the midst and, most often, near the end of each Psalm there is always a turning to God, with phrases like, “even now,” “and yet,” “I will yet praise Him.” And in the middle of David’s cries, see how David turns again to his God.

Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturned within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise Him, my Savior and my God.  Psalm 42:5

     Wherever you are today, praise God. Even if you feel hopeless and helpless, praise Him. Praise Him for His creation, for His love, for His forgiveness, for the hope of eternity. Sometimes praise is sacrificial. It may seem impossible. The writer of Hebrews understood this.

Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually ofer to God a sacrifice of praise-the fruit of lips that openly profess His name.  Hebrews 13:15

   God honors our praise as we trust Him through the darkness. The sacrifice of praise will give you hope when there seems to be none.

Dear Lord,
We praise You for Your Son, for Your unending love, for Your understanding heart, for Your compassion. For all of these things and more, we praise Your holy name.

Through Jesus, our Savior
Amen


No comments:

Post a Comment