May 19

The Silver Lining In The Dark Cloud

Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why the unease within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise Him for the salvation of His presence. Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why the unease within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise Him, my Savior and my God. — Ps 42:5,11 BSB

Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why the unease within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise Him, my Savior and my God. — Ps 43:5 BSB

These two Psalms (Psalms 42 and 43) are clearly one, as the same refrain echoes through them both. They are generally attributed to the sorrowful time in David’s life when his son Absalom’s rebellion forced him into exile beyond the Jordan (2 Samuel 15:14). Yet, amid the deep sorrows overwhelming his soul, there is a glimmer of hope. Three times the psalmist encourages himself to hope in God. For many sorrowful souls, this is a powerful symbol. Amid all the disappointments and despair of life, there is always one source of hope—God. Even when we stand amid the wreckage of our earthly hopes, whether caused by misconduct, mistakes, folly, or sin, we can always turn to God, knowing that He is merciful, will forgive abundantly, and will reverse the tides of adversity.

Look how the broken-hearted can still speak of God! David had sinned grievously. It seemed that he had forfeited any right to God’s care or recognition. He had brought shame upon himself and given the enemies of God’s truth cause to blaspheme. Yet, even in the depths of his despair, he dared to speak of God as the God of his life, his rock, his strength, and the health of his countenance. This teaches us a profound lesson: though we may change, God remains the same. We may turn away from Him or allow sin to cloud our view of His face, but His love continues to shine. When we confess and turn away from our sins, we find ourselves once again in the clear light of His grace. You may lose hope in yourself, your friends, or your circumstances, but you must never lose hope in God.

Though we look back on our past with repentance, God forgives. In the present, He is willing to be everything we need. And in the future, hope looks forward to the day when we shall praise Him again with joyful hearts. “I shall yet praise Him.”

Prayer

Our Father, forgive us for our murmuring and discontent, for our waywardness and stubbornness. Help us to see the silver lining in every cloud and to trust in Your love, which is leading us safely on the right path toward our home. Amen.