Hope In Hopeless Times

Hope in Hopeless Times

“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

My heart could not take anymore of their stories. It was breaking. Tears were flowing out of my eyes and streaming down my cheeks like a leaky faucet that could not be turned off. The stories were being told at a breakout session led by Pat Layton at the Women’s Ministry Leadership Forum at Lifeway. She was speaking about women in crisis. She gave out four rolls of yarn to four different women in different areas of the room. Each woman was to stand up and state why she was interested in attending a breakout session on crisis. What crisis in her life had drawn her to this breakout session? Then, she was to throw the yarn to someone else in the room who would share her story. Some told their stories with sobs. Some told stories with so much pain on their faces. Here were just some of the crises that I jotted down: sexual abuse as a child, suicide of loved one, teen pregnancy, infertility, adultery, divorce, husband left, pornography, abusive marriage, depression, cutting oneself, food addictions, drug addiction, use of illegal drugs, financial troubles, layoffs, losing home, caring for elderly parents, and raising grandchildren because their child had abandoned their parental duty or had died. Do you understand why I couldn’t stop the tears from flowing now? All of the crises in my life suddenly paled in comparison. The situations seemed desolate and hopeless.

Later, Pat gave each of us child-size scissors with a Bible verse attached. Each lady was to stand up, read the verse, and then cut the yarn closest to her. The most amazing thing happened when the verses started being decreed and declared in the physical realm. Previously, the room felt like someone had hung black curtains, and the room was darker than inside the deepest cave. Hope seemed gone. When the verses were read, it was like someone began to remove the black curtains and let the sun shine into the room. Hope was filling up the room again. Light had come back again. The oppression was lifted. Victory was available.

Women started talking about how the verse they were given just ministered to them. God matched up women with similar circumstances with the same verses. Women were encouraging others with the Word. I was also encouraged because God gave me the same verse that my friend Kendra had heard from God in her prayer time for me. Life was being breathed back into the room. Hope was restored.

Hope is the feeling that what is wanted can be attained or that events will turn out for the best. When we hope against hope then we are believe that things will change and get better, although the outlook does not look like there is any hope at all. When someone steals your hope, she has trampled your heart. Without hope, the heart will break. Then, we can’t go on, and we linger in a slow, painful death. The great news is that our God is the God of Hope! No situation is hopeless. No situation is too far gone. There was no hopeless situation that God cannot answer. Hope is powerful medicine that we can expect something better tomorrow. God’s Word is the Giver of Hope!

In another session at the Forum, my friend Lorie Keene quoted Hebrews 4:12, “For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joint and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.” She said, “It is God’s Word that fills the space in the heart of every woman.” God’s Word is alive. It holds the power to work in people’s lives…Not my words…Not your words. My encouragement might last for a day, maybe longer. However, the Word of God endures for all time. In the Greek, the word for “active” is energas, which means energy, operative, effective. It is a Greek word used for drugs that were effective in bringing the cure. God’s Word is the cure! It is unstoppable and can penetrate to the deepest part of our being – our soul and spirit, joints and marrow. God pours in His Word to our most severe wounds.

As review, here are some easy questions for you. What is the cure for hopeless situations? The God of hope. What is the quickest way to inject hope? God’s Word, beloved…Simply His Word. Therefore, let’s remember when we are discouraged, inject His Word. When we look for hope in others, let’s turn to Him. When we try to find quick-pick-me-ups, He is the eternal pick-me-up. When we try to eat our sorrows away, or when we try to numb ourselves to the pain by taking any drug, drink, or distraction, then stop! Reach out to the God of hope!

Pray with me: Almighty God, You are the God of hope. There are no circumstances that are too difficult. There is no one who has an impossible situation. Nothing is hopeless in You. It isn’t too desolate. We may not get the answer that we wanted, but we will get the courage to keep going. Because You are the God who makes everything possible, our hope is safe in You. Someday everything will turn out for the best. Someday every wrong will be made right. Someday, sin will be no more. We will no longer live in a fallen world of disease and despair. Oh, how we long for our home with You, Father! Come quickly, Lord Jesus, Come! It’s in the Name above all names, in Jesus’ Name, Yeshua’s Name, I pray. Amen.