Why am I still hopeful? Why am I still trying to make room for God to do what only God can do? Hope in God is a confident expectation that God will fulfill His promises. Rooted in the Greek word elpis, it is a steadfast assurance of things to come based on God’s proven faithfulness throughout history. Hebrews reminds us that we are anchored especially during times of suffering or doubt.
I am in a season where doubt has crept in, been shoved out only to have it creep back in. I try to fall back on the many times God’s promises have come through in my life so far. However, entering nine months of job hunting has challenged my sense of purpose and my hope. Recently, I thought God was pointing me in a clear direction only to have that not work out. The felt devastation was palpable in every inch of my body. I was angry at God for not following through on what seemed so clear, so evident. It took some time and support from those around me, but I am still hopeful.
1-2 By entering through faith into what God has always wanted to do for us—set us right with him, make us fit for him—we have it all together with God because of our Master Jesus. And that’s not all: We throw open our doors to God and discover at the same moment that he has already thrown open his door to us. We find ourselves standing where we always hoped we might stand—out in the wide spaces of God’s grace and glory, standing tall and shouting our praise. 3-5 There’s more to come: We continue to shout our praise even when we’re hemmed in with troubles, because we know how troubles can develop passionate patience in us, and how that patience in turn forges the tempered steel of virtue, keeping us alert for whatever God will do next. In alert expectancy such as this, we’re never left feeling shortchanged. Quite the contrary—we can’t round up enough containers to hold everything God generously pours into our lives through the Holy Spirit! (Romans 5:1-5 MSG).
Even in this time of struggle, I choose to sing praises. Honestly, anger still creeps in but it is less and less. As this drags on, it is even more important that I trust the steadfast assurance of God’s faithfulness and remain hopeful.
When life gets hard, are you still hopeful? Share your story here and breathe life and bring hope to others.