Resurrection Hope: Finding Victory in Life’s Hardest Moments With Aaron WilliamsSample

An Anchor in the Dark

Song & Lyric:
Resurrection Hope [Verse 1]
"This has been the anchor
Of every generation
Through trial and storm
This has been our Cornerstone
Our promise in the tempest
Our light that breaks the darkness
No matter what comes
This will be our Cornerstone
Our Cornerstone"

Devotional:

Jesus told us plainly that trials would come. And he was right. Suffering is an unavoidable part of the human experience—whether through sickness, loss, or unexpected hardships. The weight of trials can feel overwhelming, leaving us searching for something to hold onto.

But as the song reminds us, our anchor in the storm has always been the same: the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. This truth has upheld believers across every generation, from the early church to today. Hebrews chapter 11 recounts the stories of men and women who endured suffering but clung to their faith, knowing that their hope rested in something unshakable. They are now seen as heroes of the faith.

We are not the first to suffer, and we won’t be the last. But we are part of a great multitude—saints who have gone before us, standing firm on Christ, our Cornerstone. He is our steady foundation when everything else feels uncertain.

Aaron’s Story:

A year and a half ago, while I was at a songwriting retreat in Colorado, I received an early morning phone call. It was one of those calls that you never want to receive. As soon as I picked up the phone, I knew something was wrong, I could hear it in my friend, Calum’s, voice.

"It’s Bryan," he said, “I don’t know how to say this, but he has died unexpectedly in his sleep." His voice quivering, then silence as we both tried to hold off tears. The next few months were shocking and disorienting because Bryan was not only a beloved friend, but he was also my pastor.

It’s in moments like these, when life punches you in the gut, that you find out what foundation you’re really standing upon. When we suffer, we find out where our hope really lies. And in those days, amidst a lot of grief and sadness, I saw something astounding, a local body of believers standing on the resurrection of Jesus in a real and tangible way.

Application:

I want to invite you right now to take a moment to reflect on the trials you have been through or are currently facing. Write down one to three struggles that feel heavy to you. Then, bring those circumstances before the Lord in prayer, and ask Him to let those trials deepen your faith and renew your hope. Write down anything you feel like He is speaking to you in this moment.

Prayer:

Father, remind me today that I stand with a great cloud of witnesses who have all experienced your faithfulness. Despite my present circumstances, will you teach me how to depend on you in a greater way? Will you teach me how to find a deeper hope, that stands no matter what I may walk through in this life, a hope found in the resurrection of Jesus. Amen.