Why are you in despair, O my soul? And why have you become disturbed within me? Hope in God, for I shall yet praise Him, the help of my countenance and my God.
— PSALM 42:11 —
Marcus Denny: Czech Bible Institute | Czech Republic
Trials, painful and sorrowful as they may be, can never be greater than or totally extinguish the love and hope we have in God. Trials are temporary. The love that God has for His people is eternal. Despair sets in when we lose sight of this truth and allow our problem to eclipse our God. Observe how even a little hand, when held directly before our eyes, can block out the grandeur of Mt. Everest! When we allow our problem to grow tall in our thinking, then we can lose hope in its shadow. Compare the cross Christ bore for you to the cross you currently bear for Him. This is why David’s command to his soul, though elementary, is profound. One need simply lay aside the hand, and one’s view of the mountain is restored. Are you plagued today by the world, the flesh, or the devil? Are you downcast because of a great trial? Defeat your despair, or the temptation to it, by placing it next to your God. Look at your trial—really look at it. Then look at your God—truly look at Him. Compare His greatness to your problem. Compare the cross Christ bore for you to the cross you currently bear for Him. Compare the length of your trial with the length of eternal bliss that lies before you. Surround yourself with other Christians who have walked a similar path and can point you to these same realities. Then you will hope in God; then you will be led to praise Him!