Hope in ‘Impossible’ Times

I’ve been away from my blog for too long. It’s been a personal rollercoaster in recent weeks

Lots of challenges, travelling, ministry engagements, family, work and business changes, book reviews, my young adult group, and working with an awesome team to develop a new community-based initiative that I’m really excited about and will launch later this year (more details in the coming months).

I neglected my passion

In the middle of all that, I neglected one passion I love: writing.

Writing helps me put and live my life in perspective. It gives me the opportunity to look away from myself, and focus on others (in the process, I get to ‘speak’ to myself too).

Though I didn’t write, I’ve been busy learning — about faith and God. The last two weeks were partiularly challenging on a personal front. And the life lesson that has consistently popped at me has been the subject of hope.

What hope is

Hope is a confident expectation and desire for something good. Hope does not hang in space though. As a Christian, scriptures and experience have both taught me that the substance of that confidence lies in God.

Hope is not wishful thinking or groundless expectation that ‘whatever will be, will be’. Instead, it’s the quiet expectation that God will do good, always.

When you are faced with life challenges and decisions, don’t resign to fate; hope in God. Put your faith, confidence and trust in Him. He never fails.

Hope is the courage to hold on to the One bigger than your calamities, even in your weakness.

Worship in the storm

In recent weeks, I’ve found encouragement from the suffering and restoration of Job (watch the moving video trailer of Job by John Piper). A man of great wealth and character lost his life’s work in a moment.

Then Job arose and tore his robe and shaved his head and fell on the ground and worshiped — Job 1:20.

How do you worship when such storm is upon you? How do you give thanks after learning of such disaster? You do that by hoping in God. It’s not easy, but grace makes it possible.

In the end, through deep commitment to God, integrity and prayer, Job held on to victory. He recovered all he lost.

Never lose infinite hope

“We must accept finite disappointment, but never lose infinite hope.” — Martin Luther King, Jr.

The words of Martin Luther King, Jr is as powerful as it comes. Disappointments will come; you can live with that. Trials will come; you can live with that. You may lose a property; you can live with that. But never lose hope in God.

When it looks impossible, hold tight. Don’t lose your grip (on His word); for therein lies your Anchor!

Image courtesy of hemetnaz | Google Images.