Welcome to Berean Calvary Chapel

The psalm ends where the psalmist has been repeatedly trying to lead himself:

Hope in God.

Notice that his circumstances don’t necessarily change before he says this.

The enemies may still be there.

The questions may still be there.

The feelings may still be there.

But something has changed.

He has changed where he is looking.

Instead of allowing his soul to continually rehearse its fears, he commands himself to hope.

The word “disquieted” carries the idea of being disturbed, restless, or deprived of peace.

We all know what that feels like.

The mind races.

The heart worries.

We replay conversations.

We imagine possibilities.

We ask, What if?

But the psalmist essentially says:

Why are you letting your soul make all that noise?

There is only one voice that ultimately deserves to dominate our souls—the voice of God.

Our souls should cry out for His presence.

Our mouths should proclaim His praise.

Our hearts should return again and again to hope.

This doesn’t mean we will never struggle again.

Psalm 42 is proof that discouragement can return. The psalmist asks the same question more than once.

But repetition isn’t failure.

Every time discouragement returns, we have another opportunity to return our attention to God.

Hope in God.

Not hope in circumstances.

Not hope in people.

Not hope in our ability to figure everything out.

Not hope in tomorrow being easier.

Hope in God.

And then comes the declaration:

“I shall yet praise Him.”

That is faith speaking into the future.

I may not praise Him because everything is good today.

I may not understand what He is doing today.

I may not even feel close to Him today.

But I shall yet praise Him.

Because God is still God.

And He is still my God.

Reflect

• What does “hope in God” look like in my circumstances today?

• What am I tempted to place my hope in instead?

• Can I make the psalmist’s declaration my own: “I shall yet praise Him”?

Prayer

Lord, I choose to hope in You. When my soul is restless, remind me that You are still my God. When I cannot see what You are doing, help me trust who You are. When I feel distant, teach me to seek You rather than run from You. And when the day comes that I can see Your faithfulness more clearly, let my first response be praise. Until then, I will hold on to this promise: I shall yet praise You. Amen.