You are never, ever without hope

Childhood sickness has been heavy on my heart recently. A mom I know has a son who has been fighting for his life. My prayer group has been praying for him and other children. It's hard to witness a child suffering! 

This week, I went to a funeral wake for a friend's husband. Last night, my little guy fell and needed stitches. Life is fragile. Below is a devotion I wrote to help tweens and teens who are sick. Please share it with any child who needs the Lord. I pray it encourages you too!

You are never, ever without hope.

A surprise diagnosis. An unexpected roadblock. A frustrating side effect. Overwhelming pain. Sometimes life stinks. Jesus experienced that too.

 

Did you know there is a difference between a desperate situation and hopelessness one in scripture? While people of faith may find themselves in desperate situations, we are never without hope. EVER.

 

Jesus took the ultimate desperate situation and transformed the impossible into the possible. When he resurrected after the cross, he conquered death. He proved that God is stronger than any force on Earth, and that no situation is ever hopeless for people who believe in him. 

 

When we believe in God in hard times, we draw close to a God who understands our suffering. Through the cross, Jesus demonstrates his willingness to experience our pain. He can be an unfailing, loving presence with us every step of the way.

 

While we cannot predict the future, we know that when we hope in the God who loves us, he will work all things for our good (Romans 8:28). Author and Christian Corrie ten Boom notably writes, “Never be afraid to trust an unknown future to a known God.”

 

God is always at work on behalf of his beloved, often behind the scenes. I once heard a pastor describe that life can sometimes look to us like a jumbled clump of threads, with no rhyme or reason. Flip the threads over, however, and you will see that God is weaving a beautiful tapestry, connecting your life to those around you and reflecting his larger purpose. 

 

No matter how dark the situation is, no matter how messy life gets, remember that you are never without hope. The gift of God’s hope is that it is real and enduring. The Bible describes hope as a “sure and steadfast anchor of the soul” (Hebrews 6:19a, NRSV). Anchor yourself in hope. 

 

Dear God, I call upon your promise of hope! Thank you for always working on my behalf. Give me the eyes to see it. Amen.