“Hope Thou in God!” Psalm 42:5

Emotions are very real and very powerful! God created us in His image with the capacity of emotion in order to enjoy life and to be warned in danger. With emotions we enjoy life and we grieve loss of life. Emotions can alert us to things we cannot otherwise understand or discern. But, emotions can also discourage, deceive and defeat us.

Sometimes we have to talk to, even rebuke our emotions to bring them into obedience to God’s reality. Such did David in Psalm 42:5 “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.” The reality of life is that what he saw and felt at the moment was opposite of what he knew to be true by the Word of God. How did he find help when he was discouraged and disquieted? He commanded his soul to remember the Word of God and the character of God. And by his will he took command of his life and put it in order by his faith in his God. Emotions are good followers, but not good leaders! Put your emotions in their place by a restored faith in the person and promises of God! Read Psalm 42 and discover the many ways that David’s thirsting soul remembered his God and how he overcame his disquieted soul. Good emotions often follow the choice of a will that is led by faith in the Word of God.

Written by Dr. Dave Canedy, Deputation Director and Field Administrator with Baptist World Mission