Hopeful Or Hopeless?
Are You Feeling Hopeful or Hopeless About Your Future?
Reality check.
Are you feeling hopeful, or hopeless?
If this is one of those periods in your life when nothing seems to be going right, please don’t despair.
The thing is, we were never promised an easy life.
There was never a guarantee that we would live out our lives problem-free.
Look around.
It seems that trouble of one kind or another is everywhere.
Hopeful or Hopeless – Subject Your Troubles to Jesus
What did Jesus say about trouble?
Imagine yourself witnessing the Lord’s Supper in person.
Jesus told the disciples they could not follow Him where He was going
Peter learned that he would deny Jesus three times
All of this was pretty overwhelming for the disciples to take in.
Jesus knew their hearts were troubled.
And please, let these words of our Savior encourage you as well.
“Do not let your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me. 2 In My Father’s house are many rooms; if that were not so, I would have told you, because I am going there to prepare a place for you. 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I am coming again and will take you to Myself, so that where I am, there you also will be. 4 And you know the way where I am going.” 5 Thomas *said to Him, “Lord, we do not know where You are going; how do we know the way?” 6 Jesus *said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father except through Me. – John 14:1-6, (NASB).1
When trouble seems to be over your head, remember it is under His feet.
Take your heart and your prayers to Jesus – our blessed Savior and a distinct living person in the Holy Trinity of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
You are in His powerful grip, dear child of God!
What follows, I believe, is right on point.
This trial is sent for my good; it does not spring out of the dust; the Lord Himself is the supreme disposer of it; for I am sure it could not come without His sending or permission. It is very painful to bear; but let me look up to Him who sits at God’s right hand; let me believe that He has appointed me this peculiar trial; it is in subjection under His feet along with every other circumstance. He will bring about His own will therein, and remove the trial, or give me patience under it, and submission to it. – J.C. Philpot, theologian.2
Give all of your concerns to God.
Trust Him.
Let’s take a look at what Paul taught to encourage the church of Corinth.
Whatever we are facing today, no matter how challenging these afflictions are, is preparation for an eternal glory beyond compare.
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1 Scripture quotation is from the New American Standard Bible (NASB) Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation.
2 Quotation from gracegems.org, from “The Subjection of All Things Under the Feet of Jesus”, preached at North Street Chapel Stamford, November 28, 1858 by J.C. Philpot., para. 8. Web. Accessed July 18, 2023. Retrieved from: Under the feet of Jesus
