Faint Hope is Still Hope

Listening to the worship song “Firm Foundation” by Maverick City, I was struck by both joy and grief at the hope-filled lyrics:

“When everything around me is shaking
I've never been more glad
That I put my faith in Jesus
'Cause He's never let me down
He's faithful through generations
So why would He fail now?
He won't.”

Maybe you’re like me, weeping in the tension of believing that God will not fail and has not failed you… but also feeling failed and let down by past experiences, including a miscarriage.

Like Mary saying to Jesus, "If you had been here, my brother Lazarus would not have died” (John 11:21, NIV), I’ve said, “Jesus, surely if You were here, I wouldn’t have gone through all that mess.”

Jesus’ response to Mary’s loss is one of compassion. He weeps, identifies with her pain and is with her in the grief, all while knowing that death was not the end! His beautiful response challenges us to reframe our perspective and see how God was with us in the midst of the mess, the letdowns, and the feelings of failure.

God is not the author of confusion, but He is the Redeemer of it. He will restore the current chaos into order, for His glory.
He truly cannot fail. It is not in His character.
Our pain does not negate the goodness of God.

Sometimes the process to glory is painful, but you have to lean into the process and cling even to the thread of His garment. That thread can carry the weight of all you are going through. It won’t break.
He won’t fail.

Lamentations 3:21 provides a blueprint for strengthening even the faintest of hopes.
It starts with remembering.

“Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope.” — Lamentations 3:21 (NIV)

“Then I remember something that fills me with hope.” — Lamentations 3:21 (CEV)

Your history with God is your protective factor against despair. Remember how He has carried you in past seasons. Cling to those memories and dare to hope again.

This is why scripture often shows people writing things down, placing a stone, marker, or banner, to remember where they met with God. It is a reference point that they can always return to when hope needs to be rekindled.

Remember the loss. And remember His faithfulness. Dare to hope again.

What will you choose to remember that fills you with hope again?