Why are you in despair, O my soul, and why are you boisterous within me? Wait for God, for I shall yet laud him as the grand salvation of my person. O my God, within me my very soul is in despair. That is why I remember you, from the land of Jordan and the peaks of Hermon, from the little mountain.”​—Ps. 42:4-6.

Initially, this reflection on the past did not comfort the psalmist but added to his pain, as he realized just how much he was missing. He asked himself why he was so disturbed within himself, so downcast. Yet, his thoughts about the past made him aware of his God. Therein lay his comfort. So he encouraged himself to wait patiently for Jehovah to act. The psalmist did not allow the unfavorable circumstance to dull his conviction that, in time, Jehovah would come to his aid, making it possible for him to praise the Most High for effecting a grand salvation or deliverance.

If you find yourself discouraged because of unfavorable circumstances, do what the psalmist did. Call to mind that Jehovah will not forsake his servants. He will come to your aid. Still, you may sense keenly the undesirable effects of your trials. This does not mean that you have lost faith. Though the psalmist was confident that Jehovah would come to his rescue, he still experienced grief.