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Where do you get your hope from and how do you persevere that hope through tough times? It really depends on your belief structure. We must say as believers, our hope is grounded in Jesus Christ. If Christ didn’t die on the cross, everything we do would be in vain.

Paul mentions this in Corinthians. It’s crucial for us as believers to remember that our hope should be in God.

^“13 If there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. ¹⁴ And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith. ” 1 Corinthians 15:13-14 NIV

Challenges and Finding Hope:

With everything going on, especially after the pandemic, people are struggling more and more to find hope. Jobs are shutting down, normalcy is disrupted, and it’s a tough time for many. People are battling with mental illness, social anxieties, and the loss of loved ones.

It’s essential to find a home base such as Christ for your hope, as a place to replenish and regain strength. Without it, surviving becomes even more challenging. While reflecting on the Book of Job, we see a man who had lost everything but still praised God. Job understood that both good and bad comes from God, this really spoke to the depth of his faith.

 “…So Satan went out from the presence of the Lord and afflicted Job with painful sores from the soles of his feet to the crown of his head. ⁸ Then Job took a piece of broken pottery and scraped himself with it as he sat among the ashes.

⁹ His wife said to him, “Are you still maintaining your integrity? Curse God and die!”

¹⁰ He replied, “You are talking like a foolish^[b] woman. Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble?” Job 2:7-10 NIV

False Hope:

Though the world around us may tell us otherwise putting hope in anything other than the Lord is false hope. Careers, relationships, material things – these can all fail us. The recent pandemic exposed this harsh reality as many lost jobs and faced hardships. Witnessing and experiencing this served as a reminder to many like ourselves that our true hope must be in God.

As my husband and I have felt the strain financially while living off of one income, we sensed the Lord leading us towards building up multiple streams. If we are honest those streams have brought us more than extra ends. It has become a way for us to work together. For those who have lost hope, it’s crucial to allow God to refocus your perspective in the same way God has refocused our view on provision. You may see by doing so how the Lord has answers to more than one problem in your life.

A Practical Way To Regain Hope:

I remember feeling overwhelmed after our baby was born. Postpartum emotions, managing the household, and feeling disconnected were all challenges. Through the voice of my husband, God reminded me to focus on scriptures about joy. Passages found James 1 “² Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters,^[a] whenever you face trials of many kinds, ³ because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. ⁴ Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” were read and recited almost daily. Scriptures like this one served as a reminder that happiness might be fleeting, but the joy of the Lord is enduring.

As we navigate the unpredictable currents of life, maintaining a sense of hope can be our guiding light through the darkest times. Hope is not just an abstract concept; it’s a vital force that empowers us to persevere, adapt, and grow. How do you nurture your faith or belief system to stay strong in the face of adversity? What practical steps do you take to sustain hope and share it with others? By exploring these questions, we can deepen our understanding of hope and learn to harness its power to create a more positive and resilient future.