Despair, discouragement, sadness and depression can affect us all, at any time, even the strongest of us. And it is such an affliction that when it strikes we feel totally unable to cope, we feel completely overcome. So what is to be done about it? The old adage "into every life a little rain must fall" holds little comfort, and it is all very well to say "Chin up! Things will be alright", when we are down and unable to stand. When we allow discouragement to enter our lives, very soon its bedfellow despair moves in, quickly followed by sadness and depression. So is it an ever-spiralling downward fall? No! What we need is the strength that comes from hope!

The psalm 42:5 above was written by the Sons of Korah, temple musicians and assistants, as ministry to those who were discouraged, and it shows that even in those times they realised that HOPE was the weapon to uplift.

With hope we can be strengthened and encouraged in our difficult times, with hope we can believe that all will once again be well. And it will, for when we place our faith and hope in God, He has promised to bear us up. As it reads in the passage from Lamentations; "The Lord is good to those whose hope is in him".