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 "Finding Hope"
In Difficult Times
Even in the Darkest Moments

Hope means, "to desire something with confident expectation of its fulfillment." The state of Hopelessness has been aptly described as a type of "Hell on Earth," filled with endless despondency and despair.

Today, more and more people are finding themselves alone and depressed, and few of us have not at one time, or another felt the sting of despondency and despair.

But Good news! Help is available, not the kind the world has, wherein it wishes for the best. It is one thing to wish, and quite another to have hope based on the promises of God.

God is Our Source

Paul wrote that when you place your trust in God, He will fill you with peace, joy, and assurance, (Rom 15:13).

Throughout the Bible, God proves His faithfulness to His people by leading them safely through or delivering them from all their predicaments and troubles. He will never leave or forsake His people; His plans are to prosper, not to harm them (Jer 29:11).

People and things will always let us down. In Psa 33:17, the horse, often used as a symbol of power, is declared a vain hope for deliverance; despite all its great strength, it cannot save.

In Jer 17:5 God sternly warns against placing our dependency on man and calls it a curse.

God wants us to trust in Him. Psa 147:11 tells us that He is delighted when we put our trust in Him, and in Heb 10:23 we are told to rely on Him for He who promised it is faithful. 

Finding Help

To reap the benefits of the Christian life and to have protection, guidance, freedom from depression, and advice from the Holy Spirit one must first be born again and become a Child of God.

The born again Child of God has the unique privilege of talking to and hearing from God, but this, the greatest resource available, is often neglected.

Christians should always pray! Even in the darkest moments when you don't feel His presence and think you will never smile again, pray anyway because He is there. He is listening and is an "ever-present help in time of trouble," (Psa 46:1).

"He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us. On him we have set our hope that he will continue to deliver us," (2 Cor 1:10).

When we place our faith in God and the resurrection of Jesus from the dead, we then trust Him to take us to Heaven. If we can trust Him with our eternity, surely we can trust Him for our earthly/daily cares.

Jesus said that as God clothes the grass of the field, so will He clothe us even more. He tells us not to worry about what we shall eat or drink or how we will be clothed. The "heavenly father knoweth that ye have need of all these things," (Matt 6:30-32).

"Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him," (1 Cor 2:9).

Hope in Difficult Times

Even if you reach what you consider to be your lowest point, God's Word says's He will never leave or forsake you, (Matt 28:20). 

He will give you peace and comfort even in the worst of circumstances, then lead you through, over or around the muck and mire of your situation, and again set your feet on solid ground.

Our God is the God of new beginnings, with Him, nothing is impossible. Whether you are very young or considered to be very old, trust in Him because with Him it is always just the beginning.

You may even find yourself in such a situation through divorce, death of a spouse, loss of health, finances, or whatever, that may force you to begin all over again, but is that so bad? Trusting God in difficult times forces us to seek His guidance, and to trust in Him.

Trusting God through these uncharted waters takes faith and courage, but is worth every effort. The path of His choosing is the only one that leads to true happiness,

Isn't this a wonderful promise "...those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint," (Is 40:31).

Even in the Worst of Situations

A shining example of living with hope is Victor Frankel, a former prisoner in a Nazi prison camp.

"As a long-time prisoner in bestial concentration camps he [Viktor Frankel] found himself stripped to naked existence. His father, mother, brother, and his wife died in camps or were sent to gas ovens, so that, excepting for his sister, his entire family perished in these camps.

How could he - every possession lost, every value destroyed, suffering from hunger, cold and brutality, hourly expecting extermination - how could he find life worth preserving?" 

In one of his darkest moments while digging in a cold icy trench, he writes:

"In a last violent protest against the hopelessness of imminent death, I sensed my spirit piercing through the enveloping gloom. I felt it transcend that hopeless, meaningless world, and from somewhere I heard a victorious 'Yes' in answer to my question of the existence of an ultimate purpose.

At that moment a light was lit in a distant farmhouse, which stood on the horizon as if painted there, in the midst of the miserable grey of a dawning morning in Bavaria. 'Et lux in tenebris lucent'--and the light shineth in the darkness."

From one of His Counseling Sessions

"This young woman knew that she would die in the next few days. But when I talked to her she was cheerful in spite of this knowledge. 'I am grateful that fate has hit me so hard,' she told me. 'In my former life I was spoiled and did not take spiritual accomplishments seriously.'

Pointing through the window of the hut, she said, 'This tree here is the only friend I have in my loneliness.' Through that window she could see just one branch of a chestnut tree, and on the branch were two blossoms. 'I often talk to this tree,' she said to me.

I was startled and didn't quite know how to take her words. Was she delirious? Did she have occasional hallucinations? Anxiously I asked her if the tree replied. 'Yes.' What did it say to her? She answered, 'It said to me, "I am here--I am here--I am life, eternal life."   
("www.rjgeib.com/thoughts/frankl/frankl.html")

Jesus is Our Solid Rock

Christians can find peace during times of crises and trials that often drive others to drink or suicide. This is the blessed comfort of the Holy Spirit, who indwells every born again Believer.

Through Him, even in the midst of terrible devastating and humiliating experiences, Christians can have the peace, joy, and hope that passes all understanding, (Phil 4:7).

Hope for Eternity

Jesus is our solid rock, and because of Him, death is not the end. Even when the angels carry us to our glorious home in Heaven, we can know that He is with us and that it is just the beginning.

Claim His Promises

God's promises are indeed a genuine source of hope that does not disappoint. It is in His promises you will find everlasting life and confident hope. 

"For no matter how many promises God has made, they are "Yes," in Christ, (2 Cor 1: 20).

"May the God of your hope so fill you with all joy and peace in believing [through the experience of your faith] that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound and be overflowing (bubbling over) with hope." (Rom 15:13, Amp).

"Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God," (Psa 42:5). 

Samuel L Mills

Comments

Peggy: United States

The article was very inspiring at this time of my life. My mind is all over the place as I deal with the changes due to the pandemic and the fact that I'm dealing with my mother as she goes through this Alzheimer's. 

I feel like I'm at my wit's end, but I know that I am not alone because God has given me a hope that is everlasting. And he reassures me the hope in my most darkest time. Through everything, my God is helping me and giving me the power to go through. 

Once I stopped complaining through all my tears, God started turning me in a different direction. I started reciting the promises of God and started putting /applying his promises to my life.

Now I'm glad that I have a new sense of direction that has brought me closer to God and is helping me face the fact that I am now my mother's caregiver and that God will be with me every step of the way. 

In times of despair, I know I can put my trust in God. Placing my hope in God's is all that I need. 

Thank you for the inspiration of your words that God has given you. Be blessed in all that you do. To God, be the glory.

Thulile: South Africa

I would like to just thank God for being faithful all the time. When I first read this article, I was going through a lot in my life. It all seemed impossible to overcome at the time. I was depressed, bitter, angry and felt sorry for myself. But it happened that I came across this article while browsing the internet.

I was in tears and pain when I first read it. But it made a positive difference. It ignited the light I thought was gone. Each time I felt the negativity come back, I would read it again to remind myself that I am not alone and that God will never forsake me. That he will see me through the difficult times that engulfed me then. 

Today as I write this article I am in a different state of mind. I know how it is to laugh and smile and to feel warm again with the love that God showered me with since. I know how to love and appreciate him, I know how to accept and love myself with all my flaws. I know that nothing can ever be able to separate me from that love that God has for me. 

It has been years but I have grown gradually in his word and my faith, and now I know that if I put him first, I can never go wrong. He always has my back. 
Thank you for the encouraging words from this article, especially at the time when I needed them most. 
God is faithful.

David: United States
God's light shines brightest from the darkness of despair. It is piercing and can never be overwhelmed by darkness.

Chuck:
Thank you for your encouraging message on hope. This came at the exact time of need and an answer to my prayers for my disabled and depressed wife I truly love. Jesus is my everything for hope.

Angella: United States
Finding hope in difficult times, I love that it's helped me with my problem.... 

Samuel: Nigeria
A great message of Hope, and very helpful in this time of the pandemic, I will use it to encourage and strengthen our fellowship family on Sunday.

Adron: United States
A great article with many good points. Our hope and focus must be in the Lord.

Joan: Bahrain
Thank you for all your inspirational articles. I read this article in the stage of my life where deep inside, I was asking, what happened to my life?

Sometimes I feel like giving up, but with the help of our Lord Saviour he helped me to find your site to encourage us, I'm so thankful to our  Lord God.

Andu: Nigeria
So encouraged by your articles and will so much appreciate if you can send some messages of hope to me by mail, thank you!!!

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This is the original copy of this article.  It was written by Samuel L. Mills and was transferred here from his other website in Jan, 2009. 
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