When You Are Sad and Discouraged
“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!” (Psalm 42:5-6 and also repeated in Psalm 42:11 NLT)
Discouragement and sadness are not new struggles
The writer of Psalm 42 experienced them deeply. In fact, he was so overwhelmed that he asked himself, “Why am I discouraged? Why is my heart so sad?” Yet he did not allow his feelings to have the final word. Instead, he reminded himself to put his hope in God.
One of the most encouraging aspects of this psalm is that the writer was honest about his emotions. He did not pretend everything was fine. He acknowledged his grief, his questions, and even his sense of being overwhelmed. Yet in the middle of it all, he chose to remember God’s faithfulness. Like waves crashing against a shoreline, discouragement may come repeatedly, but God’s unfailing love is greater still.
When sadness lingers, it is important to remember that feelings are real, but they are not always reliable guides. The psalmist teaches us to preach truth to ourselves. Rather than listening only to our discouragement, we must speak God’s promises to our hearts and place our hope in Him. The same God who sustained the psalmist remains our refuge today.
Psalms 42: 5-11 — Dealing with discouragement and sadness
“5 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
6 my God! Now I am deeply discouraged, but I will remember you— even from distant Mount Hermon, the source of the Jordan, from the land of Mount Mizar.
7 I hear the tumult of the raging seas as your waves and surging tides sweep over me.
8 But each day the LORD pours his unfailing love upon me, and through each night I sing his songs, praying to God who gives me life.
9 “O God my rock,” I cry, “why have you forgotten me? Why must I wander around in grief, oppressed by my enemies?”
10 Their taunts break my bones. They scoff, “Where is this God of yours?”
11 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!
Therefore
“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” (Josh. 1:9 ESV)
“But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.” (2 Cor. 12:9 ESV)
Quotes
“The Christian life is not a constant high. I have my moments of deep discouragement. I have to go to God in prayer with tears in my eyes, and say, ‘O God, forgive me,’ or ‘Help me.’” — Billy Graham
“The remedy for discouragement is the Word of God. When you feed your heart and mind with its truth, you regain your perspective and find renewed strength.” — Warren Wiersbe