How can I have hope when times are tough?
Hebrews 4:14-16So then, since we have a great High Priest who has entered heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to what we believe. This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin. So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.
Hebrews 10:23Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep his promise.
When everything seems to be falling apart, we should cling to the fact that God keeps his Word. Our hope is rooted in God’s integrity and faithfulness.
John 14:1“Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me.”
John 16:33“I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.”
Our troubles do not surprise God and should not surprise us. Trouble is a fact of life in this fallen world. Jesus experienced all our troubles and shows us how to have peace in spite of them.
Psalm 130:7O Israel, hope in the Lord; for with the Lord there is unfailing love. His redemption overflows.
Psalm 146:5-10Joyful are those who have the God of Israel as their helper, whose hope is in the Lord their God. He made heaven and earth, the sea, and everything in them. He keeps every promise forever. He gives justice to the oppressed and food to the hungry. The Lord frees the prisoners. The Lord opens the eyes of the blind. The Lord lifts up those who are weighed down. The Lord loves the godly. The Lord protects the foreigners among us. He cares for the orphans and widows, but he frustrates the plans of the wicked. The Lord will reign forever. He will be your God, O Jerusalem, throughout the generations. Praise the Lord!
Isaiah 26:3-4You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you! Trust in the Lord always, for the Lord God is the eternal Rock.
Our hope is rooted in the wonderful acts of God in creation and history. The Bible assures us that God is able to deliver us from any hardship and difficult circumstance. He will either deliver us from trouble or guide us through it—for his glory and our joy.
Psalm 94:19When doubts filled my mind, your comfort gave me renewed hope and cheer.
Romans 5:1-5Therefore, since we have been made right in God’s sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us. Because of our faith, Christ has brought us into this place of undeserved privilege where we now stand, and we confidently and joyfully look forward to sharing God’s glory. We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love.
Romans 15:13I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit.
Troubled times teach endurance. We can endure heavy trials when we are confident of the joy God has planned for us.
