Hope in God

You may feel weak and discouraged, but there is hope in God.

If you do not have hope, you will be left defeated, sad, and dejected. Without hope, you will have nothing to look forward to. But the more hope you have, the more positive expectation you will have, and the more joy you will have, knowing that our God cares for you and that he is able to do exceedingly more than we can even begin to ask or imagine.

Today I want to encourage you to put your hope in God. He is faithful.

“Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.” (Hebrews 10:23)

If you have lost hope, you will often be left in a negative state of despair, with worry and anxiety clouding your thoughts, often leaving you fearful, frazzled, and hopeless. These overwhelming negative emotions can cripple you.

I have good news for you. You don’t have to live in weakness and discouragement. You can put your hope in our all-powerful and all-knowing God. You can rise above the despair. You can be strong and courageous.

Joshua 1:9 tells us, “This is my command—be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

Be strong. Be of good courage. Do not be terrified. Do not fear. Do not be discouraged. Why? For God is with you, and he will be with you where ever you go.

God is with you no matter what you are facing. He is with you no matter how crazy life gets. Put your hope in God.

Jesus confirms this when he said, “And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:20)

You are not alone. You do not have to face discouraging situations alone. You don’t have to live hopelessly. If you are disheartened or filled with fear, and feeling weak and discouraged, put your hope in God. Know that God is able. You can put your faith in God.

Do you know what faith is? Faith is putting your hope, your confidence, and your trust, not in yourself or your unstable circumstances, but in your never-changing, reliable and unlimited God.

“Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.” (Hebrews 11:1)

I want to encourage you to stay positive and to look on the bright side of life. Don’t get overly fixated on the storms of life. Rather, keep a good attitude, and fix your sights on Jesus.

If you are weak and discouraged, you need to know that you are not alone. Even great men and women of God in Bible times experienced hardship and calamity. Those who did not give in to feelings of weakness and despair but who put their hope in God were able to rise above the storms. When they relied on God, he came through for his people and God delivered his people and brought them through in victory.

When God’s people called on Him for help, he showed himself faithful. When God’s children put their hope in Him, He helped them overcome impossible situations.

Look to God. Rely on God. Don’t focus on your hopeless problems. Put your hope in God.

If you are living your life without God, come back to Him. He loves you. You do not need to face life’s struggles alone. If you have walked away from God, come back to him. Surrender your burdens to him. Give him your life. Put your hope in him.

God is faithful:

“Your faithfulness continues through all generations.” (Psalm 119:90)

God is faithful even when we are faithless:

“If we are unfaithful, he remains faithful, for he cannot deny who he is.” (2 Timothy 2:13)

God keeps his covenant of love:

“Know therefore that the LORD your God is God; he is the faithful God, keeping his covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love him and keep his commandments. (Deuteronomy 7:9)

God’s faithfulness is new every morning:

“Because of the LORD’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.” (Lamentations 3:22-23)

God is full of love and compassion:

“The LORD, the LORD, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness.” (Exodus 34:6)

God’s faithfulness covers you:

“Your love, LORD, reaches to the heavens, your faithfulness to the skies.” (Psalm 36:5)

God is faithful to forgive:

“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9)

God’s faithfulness allows us to have a close walk with him:

“God is faithful, who has called you into fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.” (1 Corinthians 1:9)

God is faithful to protect:

“But the Lord is faithful, and he will strengthen you and protect you from the evil one.” (2 Thessalonians3:3)

Be Brave

There are countless occasions in life, where God’s people faced wars, famines, and tough times. This is part of life.

At times God’s people, bound up in sin and rebellion, lost battles they should have won all because they had not put their trust in God. But, in the Bible, every time God’s people kept their focus on God and put their hope in God, they ended up winning battles and overcoming impossible situations, all because God was with them.

Facing tough times alone, without hope in God, can leave you feeling completely gutted, overwhelmed, and fearful. But if God is with you, you can have quiet confidence in your heart, knowing that God is with you, that he is your hope, no matter what you face.

You do not need to face life’s battles alone. Invite Jesus to be your Lord and Saviour. Hope in God. Let God guide you. Trust him.

Jesus told us, “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.” (John 16:33)

At one time in the Old Testament, God’s people ended up bound in slavery because they had let go of God and turned to sin. In their desperation, under the burden of their captivity, they cried out to God, and God came through for his people.

He brought them out of Egypt and into the wilderness, with the aim of leading his people into the Promised Land – a “land flowing with milk and honey.” But instead of trusting God, they once again took their eyes off God and succumbed to fear. A whole generation ended up missing their destiny and spent it in the barren wilderness because of sins and unbelief.

But God was not done with his wayward people. He raised up Joshua, to lead His people out of the wilderness, and into the Promised Land. Joshua was given the huge responsibility of leading more than 2 million of God’s compromised people, into the Promised Land. The task was daunting, and Joshua was worried, scared, and apprehensive to take on this job.

While Joshua faced feelings of inadequacy and worry, God commanded him, “Be strong and courageous, for you are the one who will lead these people to possess all the land I swore to their ancestors I would give them. Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the instructions Moses gave you. Do not deviate from them, turning either to the right or to the left. Then you will be successful in everything you do. Study this Book of Instruction continually. Meditate on it day and night so you will be sure to obey everything written in it. Only then will you prosper and succeed in all you do. This is my command—be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” (Joshua 1:6-9)

When Joshua was feeling insecure and out of his depth, God had chosen him for the job. Even though he was discouraged, disillusioned, and doubtful, God told Joshua to “be strong and courageous.”

If you are feeling weak or discouraged, God encourages you to “be strong and courageous” too. God calls you to trust him and to put your hope in God’s hands.

God was basically telling Joshua, “Don’t worry, trust me! I am with you. You are not alone. Everything will be ok. Just look to me. Be brave. Have courage. Stay strong. I’ve got this!”

When God is with you, you will be OK. He can be your strength even when you are weak. And he can “cause everything to work out for the good, of those who love him and are called according to his purpose.” (Romans 8:28)

God promised to be with Joshua, and this made all the difference. God also promises you that he is with you, that he is for you, and that he will never leave you nor forsake you.

God is with you.

We are told, “For God has said, “I will never fail you. I will never abandon you.” (Hebrews 13:5)

God told Joshua to “be strong and courageous” despite the uncertainty of what lay ahead.

Three times in four verses God commanded Joshua…

“Be strong and courageous” – you will lead my people to possess the land. (Joshua 1:6)
Again, God said, “Be strong and very courageous.” – you will be successful in everything you do.” (Joshua 1:7)
And again, God said, “This is my command—be strong and courageous!” – Do not be afraid or discouraged. I am the Lord your God, and I am with you wherever you go. (Joshua 1:9)

God made it crystal clear to Joshua that all would be ok. And God wants to reassure you, that all will be ok if your life is in his hands. So put your hope in God. Be brave. Be strong. Have courage.

If God is for you, you will be ok:

“What shall we say about such wonderful things as these? If God is for us, who can ever be against us?” (Romans 8:31)

You can do all things in Christ:

“For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.” (Philippians 4:13)

God can meet your needs:

“And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:19)

God is your ever-present help:

“God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear.” (Psalms 46:1-2)

God is crazy about you:

God could’ve chosen to live anywhere in the universe, but he chose to come to live in the heart of man:

“You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.” (1 John 4:4)

Because God is with you, you can be strong and courageous. You do not have to be afraid or dismayed. You don’t have to be terrified or discouraged by the chaos of life. You can put your hope in God. You can put your confidence in Jesus. For he is your strength and your ever-present help in times of trouble. Greater is he that is in you than he that is in the world.

Therefore, be strong. God has given you the ability to stand boldly and firm. He can empower you to resist fear and doubt. You can stand firm and be confident in him.

If God is your rock, you will not be shaken:

“Truly he (God) is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will not be shaken.” (Psalms 62:6)

Wait on God:

“Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall, but 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.” (Isaiah 40:30-31)

Be strong. Be courageous. Be brave:

“This is my command—be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” (Joshua 1:9)

Build your life on the rock of God:

With God, you can resist fear, discouragement, and hopelessness. With God you can stay strong and courageous:

“So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” (Isaiah 41:10)

Hold onto God

God knows the real you. He knows the good, the bad, and the ugly. He knows what makes you tick. He knows what you are facing. He knows what is going on in your life. He knows what will happen around the next corner. He understands you. He even understands your strengths and your weaknesses.

God is not worried about the future. He is not stressed out by what is going on. He is in complete control. He can fix anything. He can calm any storm. He can even move mountains. So, no matter what you are facing, you can hold onto God.

We are told, “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.” (Hebrews 4:14-15)

You may think that no one understands your situation or circumstances. There is one. His name is Jesus. He loves you. He cares. Jesus wants to touch your life. He invites you to come to him, to pour out your troubles to him. He wants you to bother him with your problems. He wants to touch your heart. He offers hope.

“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 4:16)

Because Jesus understands your weaknesses, and because he loves you so much, you can come boldly to the throne of grace and receive mercy and help when you need it most.

You can come.

You can come boldly.

You can come to receive help.

You can receive help when you need it.

You do not have to face life alone. You are invited to approach God. It doesn’t matter where you stand, what you have done, or where you find yourself. You may be weak, discouraged, disillusioned, worried, anxious, fearful, or even in a dark place. You can come to God and receive mercy and grace when you need it most.

You do not have to live in fear and dread. You do not need to be weak and discouraged. You don’t have to feel hopeless. You don’t have to be haunted by the past, fear the future, or live in doubt and disillusionment. You can surrender your life to Jesus, repent of your past mistakes, and become a child of God. On the cross, Jesus paid to full price for sin so that we can be reconnected to God. This relationship can start today and goes right on into eternity.

As God’s dear child, you can rest in safety, knowing that God is your all-powerful and all-knowing God, who understands you through and through, who loves you, and has your best interests at heart. Live for God. Put your faith in God. Rest in him. Be brave. Be strong. Be courageous.

As God’s child, God says, “This is my command—be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” (Joshua 1:9)

Put your hope in God.

“I 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.” (Romans 15:13)