How can I find hope in challenging times?
Lately, life hasn’t been short of hardship.
Between the pandemic, the economy and the general state of our world, life has had us up against a wall fighting for our lives as it throws its various hits. Under the pressure, our bodies now frail - we may find ourselves caving in to take each new blow. Each one threatening to take the breath out of our lungs. With the little strength we have, we may find a quiet utterance rising from our lips… ‘what good can come out of this?’
What good can come out of a dysfunctional family? What good can come out of being on the brink of homelessness? What good can come out of being a college dropout? Living on your savings or overdraft?
What good can come out of a life that is barren but pregnant with pain? With suffering? With hardship?
Your struggle is not in vain
In those situations as we try in all our strength to push the huge rock of our lives, we fail to see that on the other side of the rock and wielded in the deep is a gem that the enemy doesn’t want us to see - a promise.
It may not make sense but your struggle is not in vain.
Moses was in exile when God met him in the burning bush with a promise that God’s people will be delivered from the oppression of the Egyptians.
Joesph was on the brink of divorcing Mary when an Angel of the Lord met him in a dream with a promise that Mary was carrying the saviour of the world.
On the other side of our hardship is a promise.
Once we recognise that promise, we can have hope. We can have something to hold onto when the winds of life threaten to blow us across the face of the earth.
Hold onto the promises of God
So hold onto the promise that God will never leave nor forsake you (see Deuteronomy 31:8)
Hold onto the promise that your struggle is not in vain (see James 1: 2-5)
Hold onto the promise that the God of yesterday, today and tomorrow will see you through until you get to the land flowing with milk and honey.
Hold on to Jesus, God’s fulfilled promise to mankind and proof that as you wait, God will fulfil his promise to you.
You may be standing in the rain; rain that will not cease its downpour. Take heart, the sun will always be there and the rain will clear - if you wait long enough you’ll soon see a rainbow in the near distance. Stay strong because on the other side of hardship there is a promise.
1 Peter 5:10 “And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.”
