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“Why are you in despair, my soul? Why are you disturbed within me? Hope in God; for I will yet praise Him.”
— Psalm 42:5
“But I will hope continually and will praise You yet more and more.”
— Psalm 71:14
“Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”
— Romans 15:13
The central theme in these lyrics is hope—not human optimism, not wishful thinking, but biblical, God-centered hope. It is hope that speaks to itself in the darkness. It is hope that continues when feelings fail. It is hope that does not rest in the soul but in God Himself, “the God of hope.”
Many believers are strong in faith when circumstances are favorable, but struggle deeply when their own soul becomes their greatest enemy—when their emotions accuse them, when their mind is restless, when their inner world is in turmoil. These passages show us a powerful, biblical pattern:
Let us look at what the Word of God says.
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### Psalm 42:5 – Hope in God in the Midst of Inner Turmoil
“Why are you in despair, my soul? And why have you become disturbed within me? Hope in God, for I shall again praise Him for the help of His presence.”
— Psalm 42:5 (NASB)
Psalm 42 is attributed to the sons of Korah. It is a psalm of longing in the midst of distress. The psalmist is not in Jerusalem, not in the sanctuary, not in the place of visible blessing. He is cut off, perhaps in exile or far from the temple. He remembers:
> “These things I remember and I pour out my soul within me.
> For I used to go along with the throng and lead them in procession to the house of God…” (Psalm 42:4)
In that state, he speaks very honestly:
> “My tears have been my food day and night…” (v.3)
> “My soul is in despair within me…” (v.6)
This is not the voice of an unbeliever. This is a believer under pressure, oppressed, longing for God, yet emotionally overwhelmed. He does something very significant: He begins to speak to his own soul.
### Psalm 71:14 – A Lifelong Commitment to Hope
“But as for me, I will hope continually, and will praise You yet more and more.”
— Psalm 71:14
Psalm 71 is the psalm of an older believer. He speaks of his youth, his lifelong trust, and his present weakness:
> “Do not cast me off in the time of old age;
> Do not forsake me when my strength fails.” (Psalm 71:9)
He is surrounded by adversaries and slanderers. Yet in the face of physical decline and external enemies, he makes a conscious decision:
“I will hope continually. I will praise You yet more and more.”
Externally, everything suggests decrease. But spiritually, he chooses increase: “more and more.” This is the opposite of the natural life. Naturally we go from strength to weakness; spiritually, we can go from strength to strength, from praise to more praise, from hope to abounding hope.
### Romans 15:13 – The God of Hope and the Work of the Spirit
“Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you will abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”
— Romans 15:13
Paul is writing to the believers in Rome at the conclusion of a deep doctrinal letter. In chapter 15 he is focusing on unity in the body of Christ—Jews and Gentiles together—and he points them to Scripture as the source of encouragement and hope:
> “For whatever was written in earlier times was written for our instruction, so that through perseverance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.” (Romans 15:4)
Out of this flows a benediction: God is called “the God of hope”. Paul prays that God will fill them in believing—that is the condition—so that they do not merely have hope, but abound in it, by the power of the Holy Spirit.
So we have:
All focusing on hope in God, all moving toward the same spiritual reality: abounding hope, independent of circumstances, rooted in God Himself.
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### 1. “Hope” in the Old Testament – *Yachal* / *Qavah*
In Psalm 42:5 and Psalm 71:14, the primary Hebrew concept for “hope” involves waiting with expectation.
One key verb often used is קָוָה (*qavah*) or יָחַל (*yachal*).
This deepens the lyric:
“Hope in God” is not “try to feel better.”
It is: “Set your expectation on God. Wait for Him with confident anticipation.”
So when the psalmist commands his soul, “Hope in God,” he is not dealing with vague feelings. He is issuing a firm instruction: “Soul, direct your expectation away from circumstances and toward God alone.”
### 2. “Hope” in the New Testament – *Elpis*
In Romans 15:13, the Greek word is ἐλπίς (*elpis*).
*Elpis* means:
In the New Testament, *elpis* is closely connected to:
So when Paul calls God “the God of hope,” he is not describing a God who merely offers comfort, but a God who creates expectation, sustains confidence, and produces a supernatural outlook in His people.
### 3. “Abound” – *Perisseuō*
Romans 15:13 says, “…that you may abound in hope…”
The Greek verb is περισσεύω (*perisseuō*), meaning:
So the will of God is not that you have a bare minimum of hope, but that you have an overflow—hope that not only sustains you but becomes a source of strength, encouragement, and testimony to others.
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The lyrics combine and repeat three Scripture-based lines. Let us examine them thematically.
### A. “Why are you in despair, my soul? Why are you disturbed within me? Hope in God; for I will yet praise Him.”
This is repeated twice in the lyrics, reflecting the structure of Psalm 42 (v.5 and v.11) and Psalm 43 (v.5). It is a refrain—a spiritual “anchor” the psalmist returns to.
#### 1. Honest Recognition of Inner State
“Why are you in despair, my soul? Why are you disturbed within me?”
Most believers experience this. The soul—mind, will, emotions—can become a battlefield. Thoughts accuse. Emotions fluctuate. Fear and anxiety rise.
The psalmist does not pretend. He does not deny his inner turmoil. He names it. But he refuses to let his soul have the last word.
#### 2. Spiritual Self-Government: Speaking to the Soul
“Hope in God…”
Notice carefully: he does not speak from his soul; he speaks to his soul. There is an “I” in the spirit, aligned with God, that gives instruction to the soul:
> “Bless the LORD, O my soul; and all that is within me, bless His holy name.” (Psalm 103:1)
This is spiritual authority exercised over one’s own inner life.
Your soul is not designed to rule you. Your spirit, united with the Spirit of God, must govern your soul with the Word of God.
The psalmist uses a command: “Hope!”
This is not a suggestion; it is a decision of the will: “I choose to set my expectation on God.”
#### 3. Future-Oriented Praise: “For I Will Yet Praise Him”
“For I will yet praise Him…”
Note the tense: “I will yet.” He has not yet experienced the full deliverance. His circumstances have not changed. But his decision is clear: he anticipates future praise. That is the essence of biblical hope: it looks ahead to what God will yet do.
Cross-reference:
The principle:
Hope precedes praise; praise completes hope.
When you choose to hope in God, you lay the foundation for future praise. When the answer comes, the praise is the fruit of the hope you exercised in the dark.
### B. “But I will hope continually and will praise You yet more and more.”
Here we move from crisis (Psalm 42) to continuity (Psalm 71).
#### 1. “I Will Hope Continually”
This is a settled pattern, not an emergency reaction. Some only hope in God when everything else has failed. But the psalmist adopts hope as a continuous lifestyle.
Link this with Romans 12:12:
> “Rejoicing in hope, persevering in tribulation, devoted to prayer…”
A continuous attitude of hope will sustain:
#### 2. “And Will Praise You Yet More and More”
Notice the progression:
The natural pattern of life is less and less—less strength, less capacity, less opportunity. But the spiritual pattern in God is more and more—more praise, more gratitude, more testimony, more depth of relationship.
Scripture confirms this pattern:
Hope fuels praise. Praise strengthens hope. This is a spiritual cycle of increase.
### C. “Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”
This is the culmination. The psalms show us the human side—honesty, self-exhortation, decision. Romans 15:13 shows us the divine side—what God Himself does in response.
#### 1. “The God of Hope”
God is not only the object of our hope; He is the source of hope.
He is:
He does not merely encourage us to have hope; He imparts it.
#### 2. “Fill You with All Joy and Peace in Believing”
Joy and peace are not independent of faith; they are the fruit of believing.
Note: Paul says “in believing” not “in seeing.” If you demand to see first, you will forfeit joy and peace. When you choose to believe God’s Word ahead of visible change, He fills you with joy and peace.
Cross-reference:
#### 3. “That You May Abound in Hope by the Power of the Holy Spirit”
Hope is not maintained by willpower. It is sustained by the power of the Holy Spirit.
The result is more than survival. You abound—you overflow—with hope. Such a believer becomes a testimony in a hopeless world.
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The Word of God is given not only for information but for transformation. How, then, do we move from occasional hope to abounding hope?
### 1. Confront Your Soul with the Word
First, we must learn to speak to our soul instead of listening passively to it.
When you sense despair, anxiety, inner disturbance, do what the psalmist did. Do not deny the feelings, but challenge them with Scripture.
You may say, for example:
This is part of spiritual warfare in the inner man.
You pull down “arguments” and “every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God” (2 Corinthians 10:5). Very often, those arguments are in your own thoughts.
### 2. Make a Deliberate Decision to Praise
Second, we must decide: “I will yet praise Him.”
Praise is not just the overflow of good feelings; it is often the sacrifice of praise (Hebrews 13:15). It costs us when we are in pain, confusion, or disappointment.
When hope is challenged:
As you do, you align your soul with your spirit and with the truth. Praise lifts your focus from the problem to the Person of God.
### 3. Cultivate Continual Hope Through Scripture
Third, we must feed hope continually by the Word of God.
Romans 15:4 says:
> “…through perseverance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.”
If you neglect the Scriptures, your hope will be weak and easily shaken. If you feed on the Scriptures—especially the promises of God—hope will grow.
Practical steps:
What you continually expose your heart to will shape the level of your hope.
### 4. Rely Consciously on the Holy Spirit
Fourth, we must not attempt to manufacture hope out of our own strength. We must depend on the Holy Spirit.
Pray in line with Romans 15:13:
Yield to Him:
As you walk in fellowship with the Spirit, you will find that hope becomes more stable, more resilient, more abundant.
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### Proclamation (Confession of Faith)
Speak this out loud, thoughtfully and deliberately:
> In the name of Jesus, I declare:
>
> My soul will not rule me; the Word of God rules me.
> When my soul is in despair and disturbed within me, I command it: Hope in God.
> I choose to place my expectation, not in circumstances, not in people, but in the living God.
> I will yet praise Him, for He is the help of my countenance and my God.
> I will hope continually and praise Him yet more and more.
> The Lord is my hope from my youth and to my old age.
> The God of hope is filling me now with all joy and peace in believing.
> I am abounding in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
> My path is like the shining light that shines brighter and brighter to the full day.
> I refuse despair. I reject hopelessness.
> My hope is anchored in God, in His unchanging Word, and in the finished work of Jesus Christ.
> Amen.
### Prayer
“Father, we come to You as the God of hope. You see every soul that is bowed down, disturbed, restless, and weary. We confess that in ourselves we have no lasting hope, but in You there is no shadow of turning.
We ask You, in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, to release the power of Your Holy Spirit into our inner being. Confront every lie, every argument, every imagination that exalts itself against the knowledge of God. Teach us to speak to our souls with Your Word, to command ourselves: ‘Hope in God.’
Lord, where there has been despair, let there now be expectation. Where there has been anxiety, let there be peace. Where there has been heaviness, let there be the garment of praise. As we choose to believe Your promises, fill us with all joy and peace in believing. Cause us not merely to have hope, but to abound in hope—overflowing hope that strengthens us and becomes a testimony to others.
We commit ourselves to hope continually, to praise You yet more and more, regardless of age, circumstance, or feeling. We thank You that You are faithful, that Your Word cannot fail, and that our future is secured in Christ. We receive, now, by faith, the ministry of the Holy Spirit, producing in us abounding hope.
We ask it in the name of Jesus.
Amen.”
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