June 25, 2026

Daily Devotional:

“Hope on Replay”

Psalm 71:14

"But as for me, I will always have hope; I will praise you more and more."

The writer of Psalm 71 is likely an older individual looking back on a life filled with both deep blessings and heavy trials. As they face the vulnerabilities of aging and the lingering presence of adversaries, they make a deliberate,conscious pivot. Right in the middle of wrestling with fear, they issue a declaration of intent: "But as for me..."

It is easy to have hope when the circumstances of our lives align perfectly when the health report is clean, the bank account is stable, and relationships are thriving. But authentic, resilient hope isn't a passive emotion triggered by a good day; it is a stubborn decision made in the trenches.

The Psalmist uses two specific phrases that challenge how we navigate difficult seasons. The word always spans across the spectrum of human experience. It means hoping in the waiting, hoping in the grief, and hoping when the path forward is entirely obscured. It shifts our gaze from the magnitude of our problems to the magnitude of God's character. Praise has a compounding effect. When we choose to vocalize God's goodness, it reframes our perspective. We stop magnifying our anxieties and start magnifying the One who holds our future. Praise is the fuel that keeps the flame of hope burning.

When the world gives you a dozen reasons to despair, Psalm 71 invites you to draw a line in the sand. You cannot always control what happens to you, but you can always choose your response. You can decide that your default rhythm will be hope, and your daily practice will be praise. When we focus entirely on our problems, they grow larger in our minds. When we praise God, we remind ourselvesof His scale, power, and history of faithfulness. The more you look for reasons to thank and praise God, the more reasons you actually find. It becomes a healthy cycle—hope fuels praise, and praise strengthens hope.

At its core, Psalm 71:14 is a radical declaration of deliberate optimism. It marks a dramatic turning point in the psalm where the writer shifts from focus on their current troubles to absolute confidence in God. It teaches us that hope is a muscle, not just an emotion. It is a muscle developed through practice. It means that even when life gives you every reason to despair, you still possess the power to choose your focus, anchor your heart inexpectation, and amplify your gratitude.

What is one specific area in your life today where you need to declare, "But as for me, I will choose hope".