Hope Springs Eternal!
Hope Springs Eternal!
Is there anything sadder to witness or more debilitating to experience than hopelessness? When we lose hope and spin into despair, we can feel as King David did in Psalm 40:2 when he lamented having been in “a horrible pit.” The problem with feeling hopeless is that it puts us in a mental state of being trapped with no way out and nowhere to go. Alexander Pope famously wrote, “Hope springs eternal in the human breast: Man never is, but always to be blest.” This proverb was intended to convey the idea that humans will never stop believing that things will improve. So, how can we encourage others who feel like giving up to consider hope, even if their circumstances won’t immediately change?
One tool I used when I felt myself slipping into a downward spiral was to focus on the words from Philippians 4:8 which guide us in this way: “Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things.” So, ok, ‘power of positive thinking’ and all that, right? Well, it’s more than that. Paul goes on to say that if we “practice these things; and the God of peace will be with you” (Philippians 4:9). Wow! Now that is a promise I would like to count on any time my hope is a bit shaken. Knowing that the God who created the whole universe is with me gives me great comfort.
Let’s also remember the encouraging promise in Hebrews 10:23: “Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful.” From many years of walking with the Lord, I can say without exception that He has a perfect track record for always keeping His promises. Great is His faithfulness, if we would only believe.
Let us Walk in His Way:
Dear Heavenly Father, the Prophet Jeremiah declares in Lamentations 3:24, “The Lord is my portion...therefore, I have hope in Him.” May it be this way for us. Give us hope that whatever we are going through will pass, knowing that You love us and have a plan for us that always has our GOOD as Your purpose. Please help us cling to Your promises for us, no matter how dire our circumstances may be. You promise in Psalm 23 that even when we “walk through the valley of the shadow of death,” we need not fear, for You are with us. Please help us to trust You and to come to You by faith, believing that You can turn our sense of defeat into a sense of victory and that You will restore our hope. In Jesus’ Name, we pray. Amen.
by Corinne “Kinney” deHamel
author of “Walk in His Way” for
Carry the Light Ministries
