We all go through seasons where we lose hope. When it seems that nothing is working in your favor, you can become desperate for a breakthrough. You may even become so familiar with this feeling that you begin to say things like, “I don’t want to get my hopes up.” But when your hope is in God, it is impossible to get your hopes too high.

This I recall to my mind,
Therefore I have hope.
The Lord’s lovingkindnesses indeed never cease,
For His compassions never fail.
They are new every morning;
Great is Your faithfulness.
“The Lord is my portion,” says my soul,
“Therefore I have hope in Him.”
The Lord is good to those who wait for Him,
To the person who seeks Him.
It is good that he waits silently
For the salvation of the Lord.

• Lamentations 3:21-26 NASB

Hope in Things

There are so many things that I am hoping for at the moment. Some of them I have been desiring for years. Good things like my daughter’s complete healing and the fulfillment of God’s calling on my life. I know God wants these things too. But at times I find my focus is causing me to not be able to appreciate the here and now, not to mention the baby steps where God is leading me towards the things I long for. If I stop to remember all He has done, I can see amazing progress in my life.

Discontentment has led to much advancement in the world as well as much hopelessness. It is both a blessing and a curse. The blessing is society and individuals moving toward goals that better their lives and the lives of others. The curse is having a restless, joyless, and unfulfilled mindset. What is fulfillment? We seem to never reach our dreams, as the goal is continually moved. The first time I preached I was so thankful for the opportunity and that God’s word was being fulfilled. But I wasn’t satisfied because I hoped for Him to use me more.

Hope in Him

Hope drives us forward, but if misplaced it leads to unmet expectations. When I’m dissatisfied and I think things aren’t going to change, I’ve learned to check where I’m placing my hope. Often I find I’ve slipped into placing my expectations on a person, my job, opportunity, or circumstance. Have I made my focus on God’s calling on my life, or have I placed my hope in Him? God is the only hope that we can have that will not fail us.

I don’t think God minds you wanting better for yourself. I guarantee that God wants better for you too. But when your focus goes off Him and onto things you desire, you’re setting yourself up for dissatisfaction. While we go through times of discontentment, we have to let it foster a deeper intimacy with the Lord. If He gave us everything as soon as we wanted it, our relationship with Him would turn mechanical and lifeless.

Let us hope in the Lord. He is faithful beyond anything else. His love and mercy are deep and true beyond comparison. No matter our circumstances it is good to seek Him and to trust Him. If God is your portion, don’t let this world with all of its pain and trouble fool you into losing hope. When our hope is truly in the Person of God we will never be dissatisfied.

Where Have You Placed Your Hope

• What are you currently struggling with? What could this reveal about where your hope is placed?
• Have you talked with Jesus about what you are going through? Do you trust His faithfulness, love, and mercy even during hard times?
• Are you hoping in something from God, or God Himself? His blessings are many and we should pray and believe for them, but our eyes must stay on His.

The Lord is worthy of being our greatest hope. I pray He would open our eyes to see His faithfulness, love, and mercy even during the hard times. Trust in Him more than all the things that steal your affections. He has patience and forgiveness when we don’t trust in all circumstances but He is your ultimate portion and inheritance. Place your hope in God.

Please share what God has taught you about hope in the comments below!