Hope in God!

Monday, November 24, 2014
Psalm 42:5-11 KJV 

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. 6 O my God, my soul is cast down within me: therefore will I remember thee from the land of Jordan, and of the Hermonites, from the hill Mizar. 7 Deep calleth unto deep at the noise of thy waterspouts: all thy waves and thy billows are gone over me. 8 [Yet] the LORD will command his lovingkindness in the daytime, and in the night his song [shall be] with me, [and] my prayer unto the God of my life. 9 I will say unto God my rock, Why hast thou forgotten me? why go I mourning because of the oppression of the enemy? 10 [As] with a sword in my bones, mine enemies reproach me; while they say daily unto me, Where [is] thy God? 11 Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me? hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him, [who is] the health of my countenance, and my God.

OBSERVATION QUESTIONS
1) What does the psalmist ask himself? (v.5a,11a-b)
2) How does the psalmist encourage himself? (v.5b,11c)
3) What does the psalmist purpose to do, though his heart is heavy? (v.6)
4) In Who, or what, does the psalmist hope when distressed? (v.7-8) 
5) What are the psalmist's petitions to the Lord when in deepest sorrow?(v.9)

APPLICATION QUESTIONS
6) What has filled your heart with deep sorrow, recently?
7) When your heart is overwhelmed to whom does your heart cry out?
8) In whom, or what, do you place your hope when your situation seems hopeless?

PRINCIPLES
9) Praising God, in times of distress and adversity, lifts our spirit.
10) We can encourage ourselves by remembering what the Lord has done for us in the past.
11) In deep sorrow, or distress, we can always share our hearts cry with the Lord.
12) When our hearts are overwhelmed, God commands His lovingkindness to wash over us.