The sinking feeling of hopelessness is one of the most challenging emotions that we can encounter in life. It casts a shadow over our view of the future. It stops us from looking ahead to what God has in store for us. And it drains us of our beliefs and our faith. But, while feeling hopeless is incredibly challenging, the Bible contains a number of promises from God that can equip us, strengthen us, and help us navigate these seasons when we struggle to find hope.
Reading through the Bible, from the Old Testament to the New Testament, we encounter a multitude of promises from God. In total, there are over 8,000 promises in the Bible, over 7,000 of which are promises from God to humanity! These promises strengthen us in times of weakness. They build our faith in times of doubt. And they lift our heads when we are feeling empty and hopeless. The promises of hope that we find in the Bible can help us continue in times of hopelessness. One of the most famous is God’s promise to the Israelites in Jeremiah 29:11, when God speaks into a season of hopelessness and reminds them: “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Seasons of hopelessness are often challenging. But God’s word doesn’t leave us to deal with them on our own. Rather, He give us promises that we can cling to—promises that will carry us into the future that God has for us. In this blog we're going to look at three of these promises that can speak to us in our own times of hopelessness.
One of the most common effects of hopelessness is the feeling that we are alone in our battle for hope. We can all too easily convince ourselves that we are the only ones going through this battle and that we’re the only ones who feel this way. But nothing could be further from the truth. The Bible promises us that feelings of hopelessness are normal and that, when we encounter hopelessness, we must remember that we are not alone. The Bible gives us numerous examples of this. In Psalm 6:5-7 we are given an insight into the hopelessness that King David felt in his life. David says that he is completely worn out from his tears and that he is growing physically weak from the sorrow that he feels. In Jonah 4:9 we are given an account of Jonah feeling so hopeless that he even says “I wish I were dead”. Even Jesus experienced hopelessness. In Matthew 26:38 he says “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow.” These biblical examples remind us and encourage us that we are not alone in our hopelessness. A loss of hope is a common experience that many go through.
Another effect of hopelessness is the feeling that God has forgotten about us. We can easily fall into the trap of believing that our hopelessness takes us out of God’s presence. When we struggle to find hope, we can believe that God has walked away. We can believe that God isn’t in the picture or question how a good God can allow us to go through such a challenging situation. When you encounter a season of hopelessness, know that God has not left you nor forsaken you. God has not forgotten about you. In fact, He is walking with you every step of the way. But it is not just that God is still with you; He actually invites you to offload your worries onto Him. He invites you to share your burden with Him because He wants to be involved in your challenges and the different seasons of your life. As we read in 1 Peter 5:7 “Cast your anxiety on Him.” As Psalm 55:22 says, we are to “Cast your burden upon the Lord.” God does not forget about you nor leave you when you encounter hardship. Rather, He walks with you and He shares the weight of the burden that you are carrying, always desiring that you cast your burden onto His shoulders.
Hopelessness causes us to lose perspective. It stops us from looking ahead to a positive future, and it paralyzes us in our present state of anxiety and worry. It steals our future, and it holds us back from stepping into all that God has for us. And, when it comes to our faith, it can cause us to believe that we are unable to receive the hope that God has promised us. But God promises you hope today. He promises you a hope that no circumstances can overshadow, an eternity that no enemy can thwart, and a future that is stored up for you in heaven. Even though this season of life may look hopeless, God still promises you hope today. And He wants to remind you that your future is secure in Him. As we read in Proverbs 23:18, “There is surely a future hope for you, and your hope will not be cut off.” There is nothing—no person, no situation, no life event—that can cut you off from the hope that God has for you. He has promised you a bright and glorious future, both here on earth and in eternity.
In times of hopelessness, remind yourself of the promises of God. Remind yourself of the thousands of promises that are yours in Christ Jesus. And remind yourself that you are truly, fully, and eternally loved by God. Remember, you are not alone. God has not forgotten you. And He promises you hope today. Why not take a few minutes now to simply receive these promises from God? Bring your hopelessness to God and spend some time asking Him to give you a new hope and a new vision for the future. There are some guided prayers on the Glorify app that could help you with this. Photos by marina on Unsplash
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