Soul Talk

"Why are you in despair, O my soul? 
And why have you become disturbed within me? 
Hope in God, for I shall again praise Him 
For the help of His presence." 

Psalm 42:5

Have you ever felt so discouraged that you had to talk your soul into hoping in God? This is what David does in this psalm. He had seen the faithfulness of God in the past and had experienced great heights of joy. And yet, at the time of this writing, he is depressed. Things haven't been going well for him. He's under duress from the persecution of his enemies. Bad things happen to God's people; even to "a man after God's own heart." David struggled with his emotions, but he never stopped trusting in God. He reminded himself to "hope in God" and assured himself that he would "again praise Him for the help of". . .what?  His presence. It is the presence of the Lord that we need most when we are in despair. If your soul needs a pep talk today, Psalm 42 is a great resource for the words.