Discouragement can be a dangerous emotion.  It can rob you of motivation, take away your confidence, and shift your focus away from solutions to only concentrate on the problems in your life.  Feeling overwhelmed, exhausted, or even a failure can lead to these feelings of discouragement.   In this Psalm, the author who wrote these verses felt forgotten by God and oppressed by his enemy.  Three times in chapter 42 and 43, the author repeats the same refrain of being downcast and disturbed.  And three times he responds by placing his hope in God.

Notice how the Psalmist was honest in acknowledging his feelings of despair. Being able to recognize and understand the source of despair is important.  But also notice that he did not let his feelings dictate his faith.  He immediately began to place his focus on God.  Because he understood that God is the ultimate source of comfort.  While it is natural to experience emotions, it is our choice on where we place our focus.  And if you only focus on your feelings of discouragement, you will find yourself in a never-ending negative loop.  Instead, decide to trust God even when life seems dark and gloomy.

So, how do we overcome the defeating feelings of discouragement?  According to this Psalm, it starts through the worship of God.  Followers of Christ are called to worship God privately during the day and publicly with fellow believers. When you are in the midst of discouragement, you may not feel like worshiping God.  That is why you need to be surrounded by others in public worship.  They provide encouragement through their worship and allow you to reset your emotions as you place your focus on God. It involves remembering what God has done for you in the past and being thankful for the hope that He has provided. Do not let discouragement determine your future, instead find the solution through your faith!

Read Psalms 42 and 43