Keeping Hope Alive: Part Two

In the previous post, we looked at the meaning of hope according to the bible; that hope is formed when we endure trials. We examined Psalms 59 written by David during a time of his life when all seemed hopeless and identified in this Psalm practical principles, we can follow to cultivate hope – the first of which is to run to God in prayer. In this post, we will further explore these principles. While reading Psalm 59, I saw that David placed his focus on God, identified what was in his control and acted on it. I will call them: Godly perspective, and a sense of control.  

Godly perspective 

Psalms 59:8-10 (NLT) 

But Lord, you laugh at them. You scoff at all the hostile nations. You are my strength; I wait for you to rescue me, for you, O God, are my fortress. In His unfailing love, my God will stand with me (emphasis mine) 

In this portion of Psalms 59, David meditated on the character of God. He focused his mind on God’s power, strength, and unfailing love. David declared his dependence on God’s strength instead of his own, and surrendered to God by saying, ‘I will wait.’ David worshipped God. Worship is the key to gaining a godly perspective. But what exactly is worship? Often the word worship is used in conjunction with praise to signify the types of songs we sing to extol the character of God, but it goes beyond that. Worship also includes surrender. David magnified God and then surrendered to God (I will wait for you to rescue me). One area of surrender is to surrender to God’s view of our circumstances, our lives, and ourselves. What is God saying about you? Are you able to accept God’s image of you? So often we fall into the trap of believing lies of the enemy who loves to remind us of our mistakes and missteps – and equating that with God’s image of who He sees us to be. If that is you, I want to remind you of God’s eternal love that he demonstrated in sending his Son to take the judgment of God and reconcile you with the Father. What characteristic of God can you meditate on? What does surrender to God’s perspective look like to you?

Sense of control 

Psalms 59: 16 

But as for me, I will sing about your power. Each morning I will sing with joy about your unfailing love. For you have been my refuge, a place of safety when I am in distress. 

In this portion of the Psalm, we can see David gaining a sense of control. When we feel like we do not have an area of influence where we can exert our decisions, we may feel out of control, and feeling out of control can lead to hopelessness. Studies have demonstrated the negative effects a lack of sense of control can have on our mental health and resilience, the opposite is also true; having a sense of control can greatly improve our mental health. David identified that he had a choice in his reaction to the trials he faced – he chose to worship God. Perhaps that is the only aspect you can control, perhaps there are more factors you have control over. What is in your control? How can you act on that?  

Coach U 

Which one of the practices (running to God, Godly perspective, and sense of control) stood out to you? How will you apply that to your circumstances?  

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Photo by Mohamed Nohassi on Unsplash

Sources: 

Keeton CP, Perry-Jenkins M, Sayer AG. Sense of control predicts depressive and anxious symptoms across the transition to parenthood. J Fam Psychol. 2008 Apr;22(2):212-21. doi: 10.1037/0893-3200.22.2.212. PMID: 18410208; PMCID: PMC2834184. 

Riachi E, Holma J, Laitila A. Psychotherapists' perspectives on loss of sense of control. Brain Behav. 2024 Jan;14(1):e3368. doi: 10.1002/brb3.3368. PMID: 38376017; PMCID: PMC10771224.