The dichotomy between discouragement and hope, as well as sadness and praise is a contrast that defines the difference in perspective. The psalmist, in chapter 42 finds himself again and again standing on the brink of the chasm between discouragement and hope. Emotions of the heart and soul rise up within him, as he wrestles with the circumstances of life.
We will face discouragement and sadness. A longing for the ‘good days’ will linger with us. Tears will fall and hearts will break while we live on this earth. It’s okay to feel the tug of human emotions. Yet, like the psalmist, we must continually, if need be, redirect our emotions to what we know to be true. Remind ourselves that the God we serve is One who is constant. Our hope can be placed in Him without reservation.
The Longing for God
The deer that is being hunted hour after hour develops a longing and a deep need for water. The merciless hounds or hunters leave the deer empty and dry. The knowledge of enemies on her trail leaves the exhausted deer only with an intense longing and not the need fulfilled.
When our enemies surround us and the difficulties of life bring us to our knees, we tend to realize our deep need for God. The longer we are in a desolate place our yearning for God increases. We sense an urgency and longing for God that comes from the depths of our soul. The knowledge that we can’t handle life alone increases the deep need for a touch from God. We are surrounded by a barrage of emotions as our yearning for God’s intervention deepens.
The Breaking Heart
Tears fall. Hearts break. We pour out our soul before our Father. God shares in our griefs and sorrows. He knows and He cares. In the light of our humanity that at times, bring us to discouragement and despair, we must redirect our hearts.
We will experience grief and face sadness, but through it all we have the hope and assurance that God will be our way through. Our emotions can be articulated, on the other hand, we must lead our emotions and not let our emotions lead us.
Leading the Emotions
We find the psalmist, doing this very thing. He often verbalized his anguish, but then he would delineate between emotion and truth by reminding himself of the steadfastness and faithfulness of God.
Our perspective will help to keep our hearts stabilized in times of discouragement and sadness. Our trust in an Almighty God will keep us balanced in times of questioning.
“Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted in me? hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him for the help of his countenance.”
Psalm 42:5
I can’t help but think that in this verse, the psalmist knows the truth in his head but hasn’t yet firmly entrenched it in his heart. He is still wrestling with the emotions that seem to engulf him. The balance of praise in this verse is for the help of “his” countenance…another’s person-hood. The psalmist hasn’t taken that hope and praise and applied it to himself personally. He knows it is out there, but He hasn’t claimed it for his own.
By the time we reach the end of the 42nd Psalm, the psalmist has been able to delineate between discouragement and hope for himself. He starkly chooses, in spite of the disquiet he is experiencing, to praise the God who is the One that brings deliverance and aid. He declares that His hope is in His God.
“Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me? hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance and my God.”
Psalm 42:11
The writer of this psalm personally experiences the change in perspective as he directs his emotions to the knowledge of the God He serves. He declares that it is God that is in charge of deliverance. It is God who can change the face of his life. In placing his hope in God, He determines to wait, to stay, to tarry, and to trust.
Solving the Dichotomy of Emotions
We are facing troubled times. Life is in an uproar. We are disquieted and cast down. How can we live with the dichotomy of discouragement and hope? Is the praise we offer to God in the midst of our troubling times at variance with the reality of the sadness that overshadows us? When our souls become disquieted and filled with a tumultuous fear what should we do?
Follow the example of the psalmist. Pour out your soul to God. Let Him know what your emotional temperature is reading. Name the emotions that you feel. If you feel forgotten, tell Jesus. When feeling overlooked, despairing, sad, or consumed with a longing for the days of yore, lay it out before the Savior who knows.
Don’t stay there, though. A leap across the chasm of discouragement to a solid hope can be taken. We must not allow our emotions to overpower our knowledge. In other words, you must tell your emotions the truths of God. It is in trouble that we find that God is our present help. He is the refuge and strong tower we can run too. Furthermore, praise to God for who He is will help to align our emotions with the truths that we know.
To sum it up, when you are feeling cast down and troubled in soul, talk to God and then remind your soul who is in charge. Praise God for who He is and what He has done. Emotions will fluctuate, but our hope is in a God who will not be moved. When enveloped in the conflict of emotions, stand on the unwavering truths of God. When the answer is long in coming, we must trust, because we know God is steadfast and faithful. Tears will fall, but as they fall, our perspective of an eternal, never failing God will keep us balanced and resolute.
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