Finding Hope in Your Despair

“Hope is being able to see that there is light despite all of the darkness.”

Desmond Tutu

This morning, I spilled my coffee (decaf of course) all over my left shoe and the parking lot as I was heading into the place where I was going to be writing.

Friday afternoon, I started feeling the onset of a cold.  By this weekend, the cold was in full swing.

My wife and I have had our house on the market for nearly 3 months, and it hasn’t sold yet.

Work has been extremely busy lately, and it seems like we don’t have the resources to execute on what our sales department sold.

I have been exchanging messages with a friend in Guatemala about a widow who is facing a challenging situation regarding her housing situation.

I don’t mean to sound depressing, but sometimes life can be challenging.  In fact, there are things happening around us everyday that can lead to discouragement.

I don’t know what is happening in your life right now.  Things may be perfect, but I suspect you are facing challenges too.

As I was spending time this morning in God’s Word, I came across this passage from Paul in 2 Corinthians 4:16-18:

Therefore we do not lose heart.  Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day.  For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.  So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen it eternal.

This is what it means to have HOPE!

We will face junk in our lives.  This is part of the earthly experience ever since sin entered the world.  But despair and hopelessness is not the final answer.

As we approach Easter, it’s a great time to remember the HOPE we have – a HOPE that lasts – a HOPE that breaks through the spilled coffee, the common cold, the unsold houses, the challenging work situations, and even the immediate needs of a widow and her family in Guatemala.

In the midst of your challenges and despair, I pray you’ll know this HOPE.

Don’t lose heart!

The LORD is good, a refuge in times of trouble.  He cares for those who trust in him.  Nahum 1:7

Share your thoughts in the comments.