Hope in the Face of Despairഉദാഹരണം

We often form judgments about our future based on past experiences and present circumstances. If our situation isn’t good, we tend to project that onto the future. However, you and I are called not to live our lives according to our experiences but according to God’s promises. It is God’s promises that propel our hope.

According to this passage, living a life of hope in the face of despair means remembering the following:

1. God covers you with His love in the face of danger.

Jeremiah says, “Because of the Lord’s great love, we are not consumed.” Sometimes, God’s love appears to us by shielding us from danger, but sometimes, God’s love is displayed by preserving us in the middle of danger. You can live a hopeful life today, knowing that God is capable of shielding you from danger and, at the same time, He is capable of preserving your life in the middle of danger.

2. Your situation might be unfair but hold on to God’s faithfulness for you.

The writer says, "great is your faithfulness." Living a life of hope does not mean dismissing the hard things in your life. While facing the unfairness of your situation, you still need to remember God’s faithfulness around you. When we say, “God is faithful,” we mean that God has committed to sticking with you despite your situation. Do not let the hardship of the situation sway you from the truth that God is faithful.

3. God’s mercy never stops, even when everything else seems to stop.

The Prophet says, “For his compassions never fail. They are new every morning.” This means God’s mercy never stops; we are the ones who stop noticing it. We are the ones who stop looking for it, but His mercies never stop—they are new every morning. God’s mercy never stops showing up, and God will keep on showing His mercy.

4. Remember that you have who you need the most.

Jeremiah says, “The Lord is my portion; therefore, I will wait for him.” The Lord being your portion means He is all you’ve got because He’s got you fully. The writer here says that because the Lord is my portion, I will therefore wait for Him. One of the best ways to gauge whether you are making God your portion is in your willingness to wait for Him. You need to be willing to wait for God to do His work in you, for you, and with you.

Often, we fail to wait for God because we are so obsessed with control. We want a God whom we can control—when and how He gives us what we need. But to wait on God is to relinquish, surrender, or let go of your need to have God do things your way. The reality is that we don’t need a God we can control; we need a God we can trust.

PRAYER:

God, often I see your presence in my life based on the good things I see around me. Help me to live a hopeful life that knows that God is fully present with me no matter the situation. I ask that you give me the grace to know that I am safer with God than in anything else I could have. In the name of Jesus, I pray, Amen!