Comforting Psalms to Help in Seasons of Despair
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Grief, depression, debilitating illness, dark despair—when you are in a time of near-hopelessness, sometimes even reading the Bible can be difficult. The violence of the Old Testament might seem too jarring, and the promises of heaven too far off to speak to your soul.
But one particular book of the Bible contains much comfort and hope when you find yourself in a season of sadness: the Psalms.
Essentially, the Psalms comprise a book of deep, heart-wrenching poetry within the Bible that get to the core of the human experience: emotion. A collection of 150 ancient Hebrew songs and prayers, many of the psalms were meant to be set to music. King David wrote a great number of them, and other authors are Asaph, the Sons of Korah, David’s son Solomon, and more.
The Psalms are considered one of the more popular books in the Bible, and this is probably for a number of reasons. First, the individual psalms are relatively short, so they can be a bit easier to absorb and perhaps memorize, particularly when you are in a period of struggle. Second, they are people’s direct, intimate encounters with the Lord, filled with emotional highs and lows. Some are psalms of praise, while others are mournful lamentations that voice the kind of sentiment some of us can only moan in our misery.
When we are experiencing a time of pain, the last thing we want is platitudes, no matter how well-meaning. There is something about the Psalms that brings camaraderie and kinship—as you read, you know: the author felt what you felt. He made it through the dark night, and now he is there beside you with words that speak directly to your own anguish.
Here is a collection of some of the more comforting verses from the first 25 psalms and their key reminders. They have comforted me in my own times of heartache. I pray they also comfort you in yours.
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God Hears and Sees Me (even if I Cannot Hear or See Him)
In times of pain, we often feel incredibly alone. But we know God hears us, and we know others have also cried out to God over thousands of years. He has heard their cry, and He hears ours as well. Sometimes we can’t feel God or hear God’s reply, but we know He is there. He hears us. His heart is with us.
Some verses that remind us of this:
“But you, Lord, are a shield around me, my glory, the One who lifts my head high. I call out to the Lord, and he answers me from his holy mountain” (Psalms 3:3-4).
“In the morning, Lord, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait expectantly” (Psalms 5:3).
“Away from me, all you who do evil, for the Lord has heard my weeping. The Lord has heard my cry for mercy; the Lord accepts my prayer” (Psalms 6:8-9).
“But you, God, see the trouble of the afflicted; you consider their grief and take it in hand. The victims commit themselves to you; you are the helper of the fatherless” (Psalms 10:14).
“You, Lord, hear the desire of the afflicted; you encourage them, and you listen to their cry, defending the fatherless and the oppressed, so that mere earthly mortals will never again strike terror” (Psalms 10:17-18).
“In my distress I called to the Lord; I cried to my God for help. From his temple he heard my voice; my cry came before him, into his ears” (Psalms 18:6).
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God Will Take Care of Me and of Things on My Behalf
Struggles can be utterly exhausting. Not only are they emotional burdens, but they take a physical toll, as well. It can be a deep comfort to know that God takes care of us, provides for us, and handles things on our behalf. Other people also struggled with the exhaustion of life amid chaos, pain, and anguish, and they received comfort from knowing God has us covered in care and protection.
Some verses to cling to that remind us about this truth:
“In peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, Lord, make me dwell in safety” (Psalms 4:8).
“The Lord is a refuge for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble. Those who know your name trust in you, for you, Lord, have never forsaken those who seek you” (Psalms 9:9-10).
“You, Lord, will keep the needy safe and will protect us forever from the wicked, who freely strut about when what is vile is honored by the human race” (Psalms 12:7-8).
“Keep me safe, my God, for in you I take refuge” (Psalms 16:1).
“Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God” (Psalms 20:7).
“For who is God besides the Lord? And who is the Rock except our God? It is God who arms me with strength and keeps my way secure. He makes my feet like the feet of a deer; he causes me to stand on the heights. He trains my hands for battle; my arms can bend a bow of bronze” (Psalms 18:31-34).
“The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake. Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me” (Psalms 23:1-4).
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God Is Mighty and Has Made Awesome, Glorious Wonders
It’s hard to see the beauty around you when the pain cuts so overwhelmingly. But God is almighty and supreme. He is the source of all things, all power, all glory, everything.
Acknowledging this helps remind us of this truth and put some of our pain in perspective. We are part of God’s larger picture, His great purpose. We, even in our pain, are part of His wonders.
Some verses to remind us of this:
“When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is mankind that you are mindful of them, human beings that you care for them?” (Psalms 8:3-4).
“The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they reveal knowledge. They have no speech, they use no words; no sound is heard from them. Yet their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world” (Psalms 19:1-4a).
“The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it; for he founded it on the seas and established it on the waters” (Psalms 24:1-2).
God Brings True Joy
We might not feel particularly happy right now. But joy isn’t a feeling, but a truth; that perfect hope that no matter what we experience, God will prevail and we, who are part of Him, will be carried along in His triumph.
Some verses that emphasize that joy and hope in the Lord:
“But let all who take refuge in you be glad; let them ever sing for joy. Spread your protection over them, that those who love your name may rejoice in you” (Psalms 5:11).
“I say to the Lord, ‘You are my Lord; apart from you I have no good thing’” (Psalms 16:2).
“I keep my eyes always on the Lord. With him at my right hand, I will not be shaken” (Psalms 16:8).
“I love you, Lord, my strength. The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold” (Psalms 18:1-2).
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Please, Help Me God
There are times we might not even have the words to express our pain. That’s OK, for these verses cry out to God for us. Reading them with our whole heart is a form of crying out to God, too:
“Arise, Lord! Lift up your hand, O God. Do not forget the helpless” (Psalms 10:12).
“Keep me as the apple of your eye; hide me in the shadow of your wings from the wicked who are out to destroy me, from my mortal enemies who surround me” (Psalms 17:8-9).
“Turn to me and be gracious to me, for I am lonely and afflicted. Relieve the troubles of my heart and free me from my anguish. Look on my affliction and my distress and take away all my sins” (Psalms 25:16-18).
These first 25 psalms comprise just one-sixth of the entire Book of Psalms, which can be a source of great comfort and peace in your seasons of anguish. I pray they help you, whatever you are experiencing. They certainly have helped me.
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