March 3 – Put Your Hope in God

        Psalm 43:5 – " Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise Him, my Savior and my God."

        There are a myriad of answers to the question above. Your situation could be as serious as being a refugee, fleeing a war-torn nation. It could be as frustrating as trying to land a decent-paying job, after applying for hundreds of them. Whatever your disappointing situation is, there is hope to be found - and not just mental hope that is conjured by your own psychological workings to ease a troubled mind – although that is part of the solution.

        King David had his many troubles throughout his life, despite the great victories that God wrought for him. The Psalms are strewn with lines such as this: "I cry aloud to God. Deliver me from my enemies!" Psalm 42 and 43 are actually one Psalm in the original Hebrew writings, which is easily seen after reading both. The theme is a vacillating conversation with oneself, which asks the retorical question above, then answers with the encouragement to self.

        When the details of life do not go my way, I find myself asking God, "What's the deal?" Then I cry out for deliverance, like David does. The last step, then, is to stop my complaining and whining, and to remember to praise God for the good things he is doing in my life. Praise and thanksgiving to God is one remedy to our frustration. He is our savior in this world – not just from our sins – but from all kinds of evil, unfortunate events, wicked men, and bad attitudes, to name a few things.

        So when the anger comes to the top, take a few moments to pause, and remind yourself to put your hope in God, and in the fact that he wants to give you victory. He is your strong tower, your Savior, and the all-powerful one who is on your side (Romans 8:31).