The Good Old Days

From: New Life Devotionals - Steve Arterburn

Psalm 42:11 "I will put my hope in God! I will praise Him again—my Savior and my God! Now I am deeply discouraged, but I will remember You. . . . I will put my hope in God! I will praise Him again—my Savior and my God!"

In bad times we may get lost in our memories of the "good old days." We may find ourselves struggling with conflicting emotions, teetering between the extremes of depression and hope.

The psalmist reflected these emotions, saying to himself, "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! 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! Now I am deeply discouraged, but I will remember You. . . . I will put my hope in God! I will praise Him again—my Savior and my God!" (Psalm 42:4-6, 11).

Look how the psalmist improved his conscious contact with God. He talked to himself, commanding his emotions, "I will put my hope in God!" He repeated, "I will praise him again," even though he didn't feel that way right then. In the dark times he sang songs, thought about God's steadfast love, and prayed. We can do these things, too.

We will discover hope when we discard our inabilities for God's infinite ability.