THERE ARE TIMES in our lives when the circumstances or situations we are encountering seem too much to bear. Perhaps it is a diagnosis you didn’t expect or a relationship you tried so hard to salvage crumbled anyway. Maybe your life hasn’t gone the way you dreamed it would. In these moments, we can be tempted to not only let go of our faith but our hope as well.
If these have become your thoughts, know that Satan would love to destroy your faith and hope. Hebrews 11:1 says, “Now faith is the substances of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” I’ve heard people say, “I have given up all hope of this coming to pass.”
It’s important not to give up our hope. Hope comes before faith, and faith brings our hope into reality. Hope is not wishful thinking—it is a confident trust in God. It is a strong, anchored trust in God’s faithfulness. Hebrews 6:19 (NIV) reminds us: “We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure.”
Hope doesn’t deny reality; it faces reality with the steady belief that our faith in God is still working, even when we cannot see it. Imagine a ship anchored in a storm. The waves are raging, but the ship is kept from drifting into destruction because of the anchor below the surface. In the same way, God’s promises are our unseen anchor. We can anchor our hope in our faith in God. When you feel like letting go, cling tighter to the unchanging nature of God’s goodness and promises, even when everything around you is changing.
One of the lies the enemy would love to tell you during hardship is that God has left you and is not going to rescue you this time. But scripture tells us otherwise. Deuteronomy 31:8 declares, (NLT) “Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord will personally go ahead of you. He will be with you; he will neither fail you nor abandon you.”
When the Apostle Paul encountered hard and unexpected times, he wrote in Second Corinthians 4:8–9, (NLT) “We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed. We are perplexed, but not driven to despair. We are hunted down, but never abandoned by God. We get knocked down, but we are not destroyed.” Know that God is ever present and is at your disposal to see you through every circumstance you encounter.
Holding on to hope means holding on to God’s promises, not just your expectations. Sometimes we struggle because we have confused our expectations with God’s promises. We expect life to be easy. We expect our prayers to be answered in a certain way. We expect God’s timing to match ours. But we must trust that God will work everything out according to His plan.
When difficult situations arise in my life that I don’t understand, I am reminded of Romans 8:28, (NLT) “And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.” During those times, I quote this scripture and say to God, “The things I am encountering do not seem good at the moment, but I trust you to work them for my good.”
If you are encountering hardship, I encourage you to commit it to God and don’t lose hope. No matter how difficult it may seem at the moment, God will turn it around and cause it to work together for your good.
Know that your story is not over because your circumstances are hard. God’s promises are stronger than your pain. When you can’t see the way forward, focus on what you know—not on what you feel. Know that God is there for you.
If you are in the middle of a storm today, I want to remind you: Hope is not a flimsy feeling. It is a powerful, unbreakable anchor when it is anchored in God’s promises. You are not defeated. You are not alone. Hold on to hope and place your faith in God. The God who holds the stars in place is also holding you, and He will never let you go.
I encourage you to reflect on Hebrews 10:23 (NLT) “Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep His promise.” No matter what today looks like, God’s promises are true. Your hope is not in what you see; it is in the One who sees you.
Author
Lynette Hagin
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