Praise!

Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God. Psalm 42:11 NIV

I wonder if the Psalmist had this present economic downturn in mind when today's extract was penned down. It has been one economic and political crisis or the other, and things seem to go from bad to worse. The effects are seen in the rising  spate of suicides and cases of depression. Reading today's extract, you get the feeling that there is something the Psalmist has experienced that he wants us to also know. He had seen the same issues we see now; he had also experienced depression and oppression in his own days, but the one thing that is critical to today's extract is that he made a decision on how to react.

You may not have a choice over the family you were born into, the schools you attended, the course of study and place of work, and so many others, but you can decide how to respond to the pressure. Like the Psalmist, questions will arise, agitating the mind, making you wonder where the help and hope will come from. However, one thing is sure from today's extract: you can only look forward in hope  when you are grounded in the God of hope. You can only look disaster in the face and overcome when you have the Lord of the storm in your life - boat. If you dare face life alone, without God and without his help, you are on a journey that will not end well.

Like the Psalmist, acknowledge the challenges; own up to the issues that you may face, but know that they would not end there. There is someone who is timeless, and who knows just how all will end, and what you need to end well. He has provided the resources in his Son, Jesus, and it is only as you trust in the Son that eternal hope is secured. Nothing else will cure the depression of this age. His time of favour is here.