Hoping When You Are Without Hope

There are seasons in life that seem without hope, times when we are discouraged, struggling and feeling our faith slip.

Sometimes it feels like our quiet whispered prayers can’t possibly be heard or that this circumstance is just too big for God to handle.

We would never speak that out loud yet there are moments, in the midst of difficulty, that these thoughts take place in the corners of our minds.

When this happens, we can know we aren’t alone in our wondering, our doubts, our fears or our questions.

Read: The One Year Book of Hope by Nancy Guthrie

There is an incredibly old story, a story from the very beginning of the Bible in the book of Genesis, a story about Abraham and Sarah that God brought to mind through reading Romans 4.

Abraham had a promise from God. The promise of a son. Of a nation of people that would come from that son.

Unfortunately, their situation and circumstance was not ideal for the birthing of a son, let alone a nation. They were old… Abraham was 100 and Sarah was 90. We all know that is too old to have children and too old to even imagine beginning a family that would produce untold numbers of offspring.

Truly, it seemed to be a situation without hope. So much so that Genesis 18 tells us about how Sarah actually laughed when the promise was given. She’d hoped for a son for so many years and this word from the angels seemed too impossible, too incredible to believe. She laughed.

But, they held a promise from God deep in their hearts. A promise that they believed for, hoped for and expected to take place.

Romans 4:18 tells us that “Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed…” He believed against all odds.

Right in the face of the hard facts of life. In spite of his circumstances, Abraham had HOPE.

Even though they were old, in Romans 4:20-21, we see that Abraham “did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised.”

Read that verse again!

Abraham

• did NOT waver (verse 19 says, “without weakening of his faith)
• was strengthened in his faith
• gave glory to God
• was fully persuaded that God was powerful enough to fulfill His promise

Because of his faith, God delivered on the promise to Abraham. He came through and gave them a son. They had a son named Isaac through whom a nation was born. In God’s own way and timing, He fulfilled his promise to Abraham.

We must believe and remember that we are not without hope. No matter what is stacked against us, no matter what our heart whispers, we are not without hope.

What are you going through right now that requires that kind of hope in the face of all the odds against you?

What has God promised that you are still waiting to see Him fulfill? What prayers are yet unanswered? What dreams are yet unrealized? What time is still unredeemed? What hope are you still hoping for?

Can you, like Abraham say

• that you will not waver
• that you are being strengthened in your faith
• that you are giving glory to God
• that you are fully persuaded that God has the power to do what He has promised to do

Against all hope, remember that Abraham hoped. Against all hope, remember that God is faithful and He always fulfills His word.

Have you ever seen God move against all hope? Are you praying for something right now against all hope?