Discouragement can come out of nowhere. Everything is going well, and battles are being won when feelings of doubt and discouragement invade. Psalm 42 and 43 ask this question three times: “Why am I discouraged?” It sounds a little more spiritual in other translations, Why so downcast oh my soul?” Thoughts and discouragement can overwhelm the soul no matter how it sounds, even when you do everything right.
Take a moment and read this Psalm slowly.
Psalm 42:1–11 (NLT)
1 As the deer longs for streams of water, so I long for you, O God.
2 I thirst for God, the living God. When can I go and stand before him?
3 Day and night I have only tears for food, while my enemies continually taunt me, saying,
“Where is this God of yours?”
4 My heart is breaking as I remember how it used to be:
I walked among the crowds of worshipers, leading a great procession to the house of God,
singing for joy and giving thanks amid the sound of a great celebration!
5 Why am I discouraged? Why is my heart so sad?
I will put my hope in God! I will praise him again— my Savior and 6 my God!
Now I am deeply discouraged, but I will remember you—
even from distant Mount Hermon, the source of the Jordan, from the land of Mount Mizar.
7 I hear the tumult of the raging seas as your waves and surging tides sweep over me.
8 But each day the Lord pours his unfailing love upon me,
and through each night I sing his songs, praying to God who gives me life.
9 “O God my rock,” I cry, “Why have you forgotten me?
Why must I wander around in grief, oppressed by my enemies?”
10 Their taunts break my bones. They scoff, “Where is this God of yours?”
11 Why am I discouraged? Why is my heart so sad?
I will put my hope in God! I will praise him again— my Savior and my God
It is easy to get stuck in the WHY?
We ask a good and meaningful question. Sometimes discouragement makes sense, but sometimes it comes out of nowhere. There are times when you are going through battles and conflicts, and you expect to need to muster courage. Discouragement sometimes invades moments of victory. Victory is fleeting and can get lost in the relentless struggle of life. The overwhelming thrill of winning a championship fades when the reality of a new season sets in.
God’s love is relentless. When I feel like giving up, I remind myself that God will never give up on me. I remember a song from the early eighties, Stubborn Love. In the 40 years since I first heard the song, I have found that God’s love has never let me down. He never gives up. I think of myself as stubborn, but God’s faithful love outlasts the moments of weakness and discouragement.
I don’t know why, but I know who can deliver me from doubt and discouragement. Put your trust in God the Savior. The Lord’s salvation makes a person whole. It is not a sin to get discouraged. Jesus saves us from sin and discouragement. He brings hope and peace whenever we turn to him.
Why am I discouraged? I don’t know, but I know God is my hope and my salvation. So, I will put my trust in Him.
New Hope 