Like the small children who live in poverty-stricken conditions cling to each other with hope, we must remain hopeful despite unpleasant and painful conditions. We ought not to lose hope in the fulfillment of God's promises. Having no hope is feeling nothing will turn out for the best. It is having no expectation of any good or change for the better. When hope is deferred, the heart is sick; this sickness affects our whole being, but when desires come forth, it is like a tree of life.
I have experienced some “seemingly” hopeless situations since accepting Jesus Christ as my Savior and Lord. However, that was before I really grabbed hold of faith and comprehended the magnitude of Jesus' finished works on the Cross, His resurrection after three (3) days and His ascension. It happened when I watched The Easter Experience a few years ago. The reality of hope as my security changed my perspective about life as a Christian. I vowed to never again allow despair and disappointment to interrupt my life and convince me that my situation or life will never change for the better.
Hopelessness touches us, physically and spiritually. For example, hopelessness made the disciples abandon Jesus in fear and to hide after His death. The external circumstances (Jesus’ arrest) gave the appearance that there was no hope. They did not expect any good or change for the better. They did not remember He told them of His impending death, and they certainly did not have hope of His resurrection. It was only after their personal encounter with the risen Savior that hope sprang forth like the branches and leaves on a “seemingly” dead tree in spring. So, it is with us!
Our personal experience or encounter with the risen Lord changes our bleak outlook and we have hope. Like the disciples, we often feel hopeless because we equate hopelessness with external circumstances. If Christ is our personal Savior and Lord, we have hope despite the external circumstances. We find hope in His Word regardless of what is naturally visible or the external circumstances that are unpleasant for a season. It is a mystery—Christ in you, the hope of glory (Colossians 1:27b). Thankfully, God always causes us to triumph in Christ.
Apostle Paul says it like this in 2 Corinthians 2:14:
I am grateful that God always makes it possible for Christ to lead us to victory. God also helps us spread the knowledge about Christ everywhere, and this knowledge is like the smell of perfume.
Not only does Christ, our Champion, lead us to victory, we are empowered to spread the knowledge of our victory in Him everywhere.
Jesus Christ is the source of our hope. He will fill us with joy and peace amid difficulty if we trust in Him. Romans 15:4 declares, “…the Scriptures give us hope and encouragement as we wait patiently for God’s promises to be fulfilled. We know that the promise of the Savior has been fulfilled (Luke 2:1-7). We know that the promise of the Comforter (Holy Spirit) has been fulfilled (John 15:26; Acts 2:1-4).
What situation have you been in that you did not expect any good to come out of it, or things to get better for you?
Are things so bad that you have concluded that there is no hope?
If you answered yes to either of the questions above, I want to encourage you! Keep believing and trusting God to keep His promises. There is always hope as long as you are breathing.
I pray that whatever situation or circumstances you are in that you will not call it a hopeless season. Dearly beloved, I want to remind you that our hope is eternally secure in Christ. His resurrection from the dead and His ascension has secured our position in heavenly places in Christ. We can be confident in the manifestation of God’s promises, either in this earthly life or eternal life...the hereafter.
Our hope is secure.
©2015, 2019, rev. 2023, Queen E. Phillips. A Majestic Publication. All rights reserved.