Put Your Hope in God

“Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise Him, my salvation and my God.”

Psalm 42:5, ESV

Earlier this summer, I experienced a period of unhappiness. Restlessness filled my soul. I was already coming from a place of exhaustion, but throw in the stress of possible health issues for a close loved one, a vacation that didn’t go as planned, and a season of extra busyness, and you have the makings for one disappointed person.

One day as I was about to leave for yet another errand, I sat in my car and started crying. I’m not much of a crier (at least, I don’t think I am, my family may say otherwise), so I knew I was at my limit. I then did the only thing I could do – I prayed. I prayed for peace and for rest. I told the LORD I didn’t understand why I was feeling so disappointed in everything lately.

As I wiped the tears from my face and settled in for my drive, a song started playing in my mind. It was a praise song I learned when I was a child. I hadn’t thought of the song in years, though now I’ve thought of it several times. The song is based on Psalm 42: “Why so downcast, oh my soul, put your hope in God, put your hope in God, and bless the Lord oh my soul,” (I’ve tried searching for the singer / song, but to no avail). As the song played in my head, I noticed I kept repeating the lyrics “put your hope in God” over and over. Then it hit me. I had been putting my hope in things and situations rather than in God alone. I truly believe the Holy Spirit reminded me of that song as an answer to my prayer.

You see, for months leading up to this particular moment in my car, I had been saying things like “Oh, once I’m done with this project, then I won’t feel so overwhelmed,” or “I can finally rest now since we’re on vacation.” But that never happened. Once I finished that project, another one popped up. And our vacation wasn’t really as restful as I hoped it would be, in fact, it was a bit stressful.

When we put our hope in things and situations, then we have taken our focus off God. When we grow weary in performing our daily tasks, we’ve stopped resting in Him. When we grow discontent in our circumstances, we’ve stopped praising Him. It amazes me how easy it is for me to take my focus off God and place it on worldly things. It happens without me even noticing it at times. I get caught up in the busyness of life, and I don’t realize I’ve turned my focus to something else. Then, because I’m so busy and distracted, I become weary. This weariness leads to discontentment. See how one thing leads to another? This is why it’s important to keep our hope in the One who offers us rest and peace, even during the busy times.

Maybe you’re like me. Maybe you’re thinking once something happens, then life will be better, easier, peaceful, or whatever it is you’re looking for. Learn from me. Though our load may lighten, life still carries on and things pop up when we don’t expect them. Do not put your hope in things or situations, but rather put your hope in God.

Photo by Priscilla Du Preez on Unsplash