by Hannah Williams

“And now, Lord, what wait I for? my hope is in thee.”
(Psalm 39:7)

Hope is one of those things that can be difficult to define.

It’s one of those words that we constantly question, trying to figure out what it really is. Is hope an emotion I’m supposed to feel? Is it something I’m supposed to do? How do I get hope? How do I stay hopeful? But is hope as confusing as it really seems? I think not.

I’ve found that hope is a lot simpler than it appears to be. Simpler, because hope is not about us; it’s about God. Hope is the decision to accept where God has us in every area of life and to trust that He is faithful to give us all that we need. Hope is turning our eyes to the Lord and believing that all He says is true and that He will do as He says in His Word. That’s hope.

“Thou art my hiding place and my shield: I hope in thy word.”
(Psalm 119:114)

Whether we are on the top of the mountain or at the lowest valley, hope says, “God is with me, He is working on my behalf, He is sovereign over all things, He knows what’s best for me, and He is making all things right. I submit to His will and look expectantly forward to what He will do.” Hope knows who God is and what God is able to do. Hope knows the Lord has never once failed us.

Are you struggling with hope? Do you find yourself in a place of discouragement, depression, discontentment, joylessness, or lack of motivation? Here are three things to remember.

God Sees You

Just as God saw Noah in the ark, Joseph in prison, the Israelites in bondage, David being pursued by Saul, the widow woman with only one measure of meal and oil left, Esther in King Artaxerxes court, Daniel in the lion’s den, Jonah in the belly of the whale, Paul & Silas in prison, & countless millions of others, He sees you. “The eyes of the LORD are upon the righteous, and His ears are open unto their cry” (Psalm 34:15).

God Hears You

God heard Hannah’s prayers for a child, the silent faith of the woman healed of an issue of blood, the malefactor’s request to remember him in Heaven. And He hears you too. “For in Thee, O LORD, do I hope: Thou wilt hear, O Lord my God” (Psalm 38:15).

God Knows Your Need

God knows what’s best for you right now and He will not withhold any good thing from you. “…but they that seek the LORD shall not want any good thing” (Psalm 34:10). Sometimes that good thing is not what we had in mind. Or maybe it isn’t given exactly when we wanted it most. But that’s all the more reason to hope, when we know who our God is. He is all-knowing, all-wise, all-powerful, ever-present, and always faithful to His plan and purposes for us in Christ. “But my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus” (Phillippians 4:19).

As A.W. Pink in his book, The Attributes of God, so eloquently states:

“Well might the saint trust such a God! He is worthy of implicit confidence. Nothing is too hard for Him. If God were stinted in might and had limit to His strength we might well despair. But seeing that He is clothed with omnipotence, no prayer is too hard for Him to answer, no need too great for Him to supply, no passion too strong for Him to subdue; no temptation too powerful for Him to deliver from, no misery too deep for Him to relieve.”

How do we apply these awesome truths to our own lives?

We do feel and experience hope in powerful ways — when we choose hope above despair, peace over anxiety, delight instead of discontent. We are commanded to not let our hearts be troubled. We are given a powerful choice.  JESUS desires our peace and our hope far more than we ever could. He gives it to us as He would a precious give.

“Peace I leave with you, My peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.”
(John 14:27)

We remain full of hope — when we remain fully abiding in our LORD. He promises to make us full of joy with His countenance (Acts 2:28). He promises to fulfill our heart’s desire when we are delighting in Him (Psalm 37:4). Do we trust these promises? Do we bank on them? In every small moment of every day? Daily, we either choose to rest our anxious minds and weary souls in His loving hands, standing firmly upon His promises. Or, we choose hopelessness — which is in essence, a life without GOD. Which will it be today?

“It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the LORD.”
(Lamentations 3:26)

Remember His goodness in the past. Don’t forget in the hurry of life to look over your shoulder at all the mercies of your heavenly Father. He has accomplished great things in your life. And the work will not end here. He promises to finish what He has started, to make beautiful His chosen bride. Marvel at His hand in the past in order to face the future with hope.

“Being confident of this very thing, that He which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ.”
(Philippians 1:6)

“That they might set their hope in God, and not forget the works of God, but keep his commandments.”
(Psalm 78:7)

This is our HOPE: the goodness, mercy, love, faithfulness, and power of our great God. Remind yourself of this the next time you’re tempted to lose hope.

How about you? How do you remind yourself of God’s trustworthiness and find hope in Him? Share below!

—Hannah Williams

Photography by Krista H. and Jessica N.