From Hopeless to Full of Hope
What is hope? The dictionary defines it as a feeling of expectation or a desire or a wish for something to happen. There is science that studies hope, and according to this science, having hope is harder than some might think. An Arizona State University article states that, in psychology, hope is a cognitive practice that is the intentional setting of goals and working toward them with purpose.
But God! With God, hope is not a goal you set, it’s not something you have to work towards, and it’s not a wish. The Biblical definition of hope is being certain that God will do what he has said.
Have you ever felt hopeless? If you are like me, you have head knowledge of it, and you believe in Biblical hope. But living that belief out isn’t always easy. When I feel hopeless, it’s not that I lose my faith, but I let my emotions take over. If I’m honest, I go to this place more than I should. Have you been there—in a pit of hopeless despair? A place where you have lost all hope?
There are multiple reasons for people falling into this place. Your hopeless despair may be due to marital issues, the loss of a job, illness, or the illness or death of a child—or so many other reasons. Despair, loss, or trauma confront each of us differently. No matter the reason it happens, if you have ever been here, in the pit, it’s likely you know hopelessness personally.
For me, the most hopeless times have come when I allow the evil one to gain a foothold in my mind. I don’t wander completely away from the Lord. Usually, it’s just a step or two. You know, getting lazy with reading the Word or praying. Or I just take a few days off. For example, one time I had to turn my son into the police, and there was a season when my daughter broke my heart completely because of her rebellion against me and God.
The world has extraordinarily little to offer a Christian. When pain and trauma come—and it is always when, not if—there is nothing in the world that offers any solace. It doesn’t matter what the pain or trauma is (or where it comes from). The useless hope from the world are distractions such as sex, drugs, alcohol, food, business, loneliness, and self-pity.
Looking at it this way, the world only offers sinfulness. Sin then pulls you even deeper than you had planned to go and keeps you longer than you planned to stay. But God! What I have learned going through trials is that in my darkest hour God didn’t leave me. I may have wandered away from Him, but He kept His finger on me. He did it through relationships He ordained. All during the dark days when I was feeling hopeless—because my family was falling apart and I felt like a failure as a mother—the Lord kept sending people to me. God sent me people who had been where I was (1 Corinthians 1:3-5).
There were people in my life who would smile or give a word of encouragement. There was someone to grab a hold of my hand to pull me up and pour scriptures into me.
Scriptures like these have been a great source of encouragement to me:
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit
–Romans 15:13.
Constantly rejoicing in hope [because of our confidence in Christ], steadfast and patient in distress, devoted to prayer [continually seeking wisdom, guidance, and strength].
–Romans 12:12.
The God I serve is a Big God! He is a God of hope—a God of healing. Years have passed since some of my darkest, darkest days. My son is loving the Lord again. My daughter is still lost and struggling, but I know that with God, there is hope. I hold tight to Psalm 62:5-6: “Yes, my soul, find rest in God; my hope comes from him. Truly he is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress; I will not be shaken.”
I have not been perfect as a parent, but I know that my daughter is His child, and He loves her, even more than I do. He has a purpose and a plan for her. I am claiming victory for her life for her, even if she can’t and doesn’t. I have hope that my other two children will seek the Lord and find a devoted love for Him, too. I claim victory because of the hope that God will do what He has promised. I keep my children before the Lord and believe with a confident hope that they will all live a holy life for Jesus someday.
Why the change of heart? How did I go from a pit of despair and darkness to a life full of glorious light even when life isn’t perfect? God has shown me that this place is not about me. I am not in control, and He is. He is God, the mighty healer. Psalm 30:2-3 says that He and He alone brought me out of the pit. Psalm 34:19 says, “Many are the offences of the righteous, but the Lord delivers.” We will suffer on this Earth. Jesus suffered. But He has delivered us. Our hope must be in Him and in Him alone.
I still struggle, of course. Let’s face it: bad stuff happens in life. Troubles come to good people—even the best of people. But we can have confidence in the trials, knowing that hope in God is the answer. It is not always easy to stay focused on Him when trials come. I’m like the Psalmist who said to himself, “Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God” (Psalm 42:1). I read, I pray, I know the scriptures. I must continually talk to myself and capture the thoughts that lead me away from my hope.
When we focus on the negative—on what’s hard, unfair, or distressing—we can get overwhelmed. We must remind ourselves of the goodness of God. When we do, we find a sense of renewed strength and a place of peace and hope. What I have determined to do is to praise God no matter what happens.
You can do that too. Hope is always found in Jesus! It has helped me to plan ahead and to be ready when troubles come. Act now, before the ugly happens, so that when it does you already have a plan in place.
1. Have a community. I am not a people person, but I have people. Have someone or a small group you can go to with anything and give them permission to check in on you and ask tough questions if they see a need.
2. Commit verses to memory. Don’t use any excuse that says you can’t do it. We remember song lyrics, know lines from favorite shows, and remember verbatim conversations we’ve had. You can memorize God’s Word! The Bible says, “I have hidden your words in my heart so I might not sin against you” (Psalm119:11).
Plan to learn some verses about hope so that when dark times come you can pull truth from The Truth. “Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth” (John 17:17). I will list a few of my favorite verses at the end of this article.
3. Believe that God is hope! Make this part of your faith plan. If you have a relationship with Jesus, you know in your head that this is just a season. Believe that Jesus will do what he says. He is our hope and our salvation. He is coming back one day for you. Trust Him! If you don’t have a relationship with Him, you can! He desires that! He wants you.
HELPFUL BIBLE VERSES:
• Romans 12:12: Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, and faithful in prayer.”
• Psalm 147:11: The Lord delights in those who fear him, who put their hope in his unfailing love.
• Zephaniah 3:17: The Lord your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you; in his love he will no longer rebuke you but will rejoice over you with singing.
• Proverbs 23:18: There is surely a future hope for you, and your hope will not be cut off.”
• 1 Peter 5:10: And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suf- fered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast.
• Lamentations 3:21-23: Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope: Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.