Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation and my God. ~ Psalm 42:11 (ESV)
Like a boxer hit with a solid blow to the jaw, life can sometimes send us reeling across the ring. In pain, we stagger around, disoriented and confused. Perhaps the trouble is bad news at work, an illness in the family, or some other disappointment. And then come the questions. Could this have been prevented? Why is this happening to me? Hasn’t my family suffered enough? To where do we turn in such times?
The Psalmist uses what modern therapists might call “self-talk”. He directs his soul back to God. He has hoped in God before and has found the help he needed and has praised God for it. If he hopes in God now, he will again have cause to praise him.
We also can find peace in the midst of our turmoil by hoping in God, for he is our salvation.