Life can knock you down again and again until you feel too hopeless to get back up. If that's you, you're not alone. Psalm 40 reveals God's power to lift you out of despair and restore your hope:
"I waited patiently for the Lord to help me,
and he turned to me and heard my cry.
He lifted me out of the pit of despair,
out of the mud and the mire.
He set my feet on solid ground
and steadied me as I walked along.
He has given me a new song to sing,
a hymn of praise to our God.
Many will see what he has done and be amazed.
They will put their trust in the Lord.
Oh, the joys of those who trust the Lord" (Psalm 40:1-4).
Action Steps to Let God Lift You Out of Despair
Wait Patiently
David’s situation was not resolved immediately.
Choose to remember what God has done for you in the past and trust Him more than you trust your circumstances.
Waiting on God is active and expectant, knowing God will come through for you.
Isaiah 40:31: “Yet those who wait for the Lord will gain new strength. They will mount up with wings like eagles; they will run and not get tired, they will walk and not become weary.”
Remember how God has come through for you before and trust Him to do it again. Waiting on God builds strength rather than draining it.
Renew Your Mind.
The pit of despair isn’t a physical place; it’s a mindset.
Escape despair by renewing your mind with God’s Word.
A thought problem requires a thought solution.
Romans 12:2: “Let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think.”
Other translations emphasize that God renews our minds. As you stand on God’s truth and promises, He will transform your thinking.
Often, overcoming despair in your mind and heart is the first step toward walking out of the circumstances causing it.