Having Hope

Why do we find it so hard to stay hopeful when times get tough? We know God promises us he won’t give us things that we can’t handle, yet sometimes the weight feels so heavy you just want to let it go. God commands us to never lose faith and hope in him, even when times get tough. And if that isn’t hard enough, He also tells us to praise Him in those times. Like God, it is hard enough to trust in you when times get tough, how am I supposed to find the strength to praise you in these times? But something I have learned is that it is easier to have hope and to have faith in the Lord when you’re praising Him first. It is impossible the other way around and yet we are all guilty of trying to do it the other way around. When you just praise God; give thanks to God for His goodness, then having hope just comes naturally. My devotional for today talked about how when we give praise and thanks to God for what he has done, it will position our hearts to be ready for the future.

This is something I learned the hard way. I’ve never been the best at test taking, and in college most of the courses you take, the grades are based ALL on exams. This past spring semester was the hardest one yet. Being a sophomore, I was starting to get more into my major classes which I was really excited about. As the semester started off, I was doing really well in school. Then I hit a rough patch and my grades started going downhill. By the time spring break rolled around I was failing 3 courses and it didn’t really hit me till after spring break. When COVID hit, we lost a week of school and then we ended up only having 3 weeks left. I started panicking thinking there is NO way I can bring these up. I started to think I need a plan B. There is no way I can pass these 3 courses; I am going to need to pick a new major or drop out of college (I was really thinking the extreme). That same week my lovely friend Anna came out with a devotional called Real Hope and it made me realize how I had lost total hope in the Lord. I was already planning on failing and just settling that this was NOT meant for me. But God set this verse on my heart; “I raised you up for this very purpose, that I might display my power in you and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth'' Romans 9:17. God taught me through this verse that there is a purpose for this season, do not disregard the power of God. This gave me peace knowing God has a plan. As time went on, I studied and worked harder than I ever have in school. I started my mornings with worship and giving thanks to God. One day I had a huge exam in one of the classes I was failing. When I started my exam, I looked at that timer clicking down and how many questions there were and I had a panic attack and started crying. I already felt defeated before I even started. It’s funny how we look at a situation from the outside and judge based on previous experiences. After the exam I felt defeated and went to my room and broke down (again). I wanted to just curl up and not do my devotions but I could feel God really pulling on my heart. So, I did them. My mom came up to my room and she could tell I was upset and asked if she could pray over me. Now let me tell you something: if your mother is a mother of God let her pray over you because I don’t know what it is but it’s like they got VIP access when it comes to praying and asking God for things, because the moment she stopped praying I got a notification that the one class I just took an exam in I was now passing. I felt a sense of hope and peace come over me. That night God brought to me this verse; “For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what they already have? But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait patiently.” Romans 8: 24-25. I LOVE this verse. Because we Christians tend to put our hope in things we can see. In this verse God is saying that THAT is not hope; hope and faith is put into things you don’t have yet. I did not have the grades I needed yet but I put my hope in the Lord and by the end of the semester the Lord doubled my grades and I passed.

How amazing is God’s goodness?!? He is faithful and gives us more than we deserve or ask for. Even when we can’t feel it or see it, God is still working and great things will come from his work. We serve a God who will never leave or forsake us. One last thing I want to remind you is with God all things are possible.

Mark 11: 24 “Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.”