Daily devotion – Hope in a time of despair.
Psalm 42:5
Scripture: “Why are you cast down, O my soul? And why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God, for I shall yet praise Him, for the help of His countenance.” — Psalm 42:5
When the fog of grief and shock descends — when tragic news jolts us out of our ordinary joy — our vision grows dim and our hearts sink. Hearing of Charlie Kirk’s assassination hit many of us like that: an instant drop into disbelief, sorrow, and numbness. In those first moments hope can feel buried under questions, anger, and a thousand what-ifs.
The psalmist points us back to the only steady anchor: God. When we fix our eyes on circumstances we become prey to despair; when we fix our eyes on God we find hope renewed. That hope is not wishful thinking — it is rooted in the incredible love of God, shown supremely in Christ. Because Jesus gave Himself for us, this life is not all there is. If we belong to Christ, ahead of us lies the everlasting joy of His presence.
So what do we do when our soul is cast down? We choose to hope. We remind ourselves of God’s love for the one we mourn and His love for us. We turn our gaze from the storm to the Savior. We declare — however faintly at first — that we will praise Him again, because His countenance, His help, is our sure refuge.
Today, will you place your hope in Him — for strength in this life and for the life to come?
I look forward to meeting Charlie Kirk when we are raptured so that I may see him face to face at the same time as I see my Lord in the same way! What joy that will be?