Why are you cast down, O my soul,
And moan within me?
Hope in God; for I shall praise Him
For the salvation of His face.
Psalm 42:5MKJV
Anyone who’s been through even a moment of depression understands the heart who wrote those words.
No one knows for sure who wrote this psalm, but I find it interesting that the phrase “cast down” is used to describe the deep depression of his soul.
It’s a term used by shepherds to describe a sheep 
that, for whatever reason, has fallen upside down, all four legs in the air, helpless and unable to right itself. If the shepherd doesn’t watch carefully and come to help the sheep, it can suffocate in a short period of time.
If David was the author, he knows from experience that a good shepherd watches his flock carefully, and comes quickly at the first sign of trouble.
So, he encourages himself to hope. That word hope means to wait, to be patient, to trust.
And of course our hope is only as good as the one we put our hope in.
The psalmist knows he has a perfect Shepherd who constantly watches His flock. He knows his salvation is coming. He knows he will be delivered again, and again, and again, as many times as it takes.
Our hope is a sure hope. Not an “I hope…” But a hope that knows God is faithful. His rescue is coming, and we must simply wait for it. A hope that knows God sees us, He hears us, and He’s working on our behalf…
A hope that knows a day is coming soon when we will look back and praise our Good Shepherd for all He’s done.
I know God’s in the midst of us, doing great things. And the day will come when all of us who have put our hope in Him will share story after story of His goodness and grace and mercy.
Keep hoping.