The psalmist wrote: "Why am I so depressed? Why this turmoil? Put your hope in God, for I will still praise Him, my Savior and my God." (Psalm 42:11)

Clinical depression usually requires medication, but sometimes people may experience depression that is not quite that severe, something that is more temporary, more like a headache or migraine. That kind of depression is more the result of circumstances that "get us down." A life situation related to your job, your family, your finances, or your health can bring on this kind of depression.

This is the kind the psalmist went through. And it was HOPE that got him through it. He put his hope in God. That means he DECIDED to put his hope in God. Hope, like love and trust, is a decision. Or at least that's where it starts. We decide we are going to do it, and then we implement it. A decision to put your hope in God is also a decision to love Him and trust Him in real terms.

Hope is defined in some circles as "the feeling that things will turn out all right." That's the popular view. It's culturally inspired. But that is NOT what Christians believe. We do not believe that things will just somehow turn out okay. Instead, we believe that God works all things together for good, for those who love Him and who are called according to His purposes. That is why we DECIDE that we will put our hope in Jesus.

Lord, in faith and out of love for You, we put our hope in You for everything we encounter in this day. In Jesus' Name. Amen.