What do you do when times are tough?  When you’re down, scared or overwhelmed?  How do you shake heaviness, despair or depression off you?  Three thousand years ago, Psalms 42 and 43 both wrestled with these kinds of questions with words like, “Now I am deeply discouraged,” Psalm 42:6 and “Why my soul, are you so downcast?” Psalm 42:5,11; Psalm 43:5.

Today, in our tough and “unprecedented time” of uncertainty that is filled with negative news, it is easy to churn that negativity.  When we churn enough, it is like churning milk into a thick butter called depression.

So what do we do about it?

First of all, we stop feeding ourselves with more negatives.  Turn off the news because the news feeds on the negative – and it has to be negative and fearful or no one would watch it.   Seriously, if the news said that Susan Smith made her first rhubarb pie and it was delicious, who would ever watch or care?

Second, we must do what the Psalmist does when he argues with himself.  You can hear him saying these words out loud – like he is speaking them to himself: “I will put my hope in God!” Psalm 42:5,11; Psalm 43:5.

He’s reminding himself. . .  He already knows the truth, so he speaks it out loud.  “I will put my hope in God!”  When our hope is in God, we are making him our stronghold.  We are reminding ourselves and remembering that right now, yesterday, today and tomorrow. . .  God is still in charge.  Nothing comes into God’s stronghold without his permission and purpose.

Who is in charge?  God is.  Who do we put our hope in?  God.  No one but God.  Nothing but God.   “God alone is our safe haven.”  Psalm 43:2

When we choose to remind ourselves – out loud – that we are on God’s team and he is leading our team, we cannot help but look beyond our circumstance.  We cannot help but to look beyond today and know that eternal God is truly in charge.

Let’s spread the word.   Let’s say it out loud together right now. “I will put my hope in God.”  Let’s say it again, “I will put my hope in God.”  Yes.  “I will put my hope in God.”