“When you hear the hard news, there are two diverging roads from which to choose. One’s despair—don’t go there. There is hope!” I wrote those lyrics as part of a song that shares what I’ve learned through a lengthy battle with cancer. Today I was talking with a thirty-year-old husband whose wife just found out she has breast cancer. As I strived to give him comfort and counsel, what I shared can be summed up in these words: Because of God, there is hope.
In Psalm 13, David expresses the raw emotions of someone who’s crushed—someone starving for hope. Four times he expresses to God the plaintive words “how long” (Psalm 13:1-2). He felt as if the Lord had forgotten him, and the “anguish” and “sorrow” were becoming more than he could bear.
We can all relate to David’s pain. A cancer diagnosis, a failing relationship, or the loss of something or someone we love can cause us to feel lost and alone. God can appear to be very distant.
The psalmist makes an important decision. He calls out to God, saying, “Turn and answer me, O Lord my God!” He prays out of desperation, knowing that only his Creator can “restore the sparkle to [his] eyes” and hope to his heart (Psalm 13:3).
Calling out to God even when it seems as if He’s far from us turns our eyes from our misery to Him and His mercy. Prayer plants the seed that allows hope to grow.
Finally, David chooses to “trust” in God and His “unfailing love” (Psalm 13:5). His circumstances hadn’t changed, but as he calls out to the Lord in prayer and trusts in His character, his heart erupts in praise—even rejoicing in song! (Psalm 13:6).
Which of the two “diverging roads” are you walking today? You can move from despair to hope by turning to God. Because He’s there, there is hope!
NLT 365-day reading plan passage for today: Exodus 13:17–14:31
More:
Read Romans 15:13 and consider where hope is found and the importance of trust in finding it.
Next:
What has caused you to lose hope recently? How will you follow David’s example and seek to grow in hope?
godlove on February 10, 2017 at 4:09 am
“Prayer plants the seed that allows hope to grow.” – This nails it for me! Even if the difficult circumstances don’t change overnight, we have the living hope of Christ to lean on and we know that His love never fails. So we can confidently give all our worries and cares to God, for he cares about us (1 Peter 5: 7), and we know that He is willing and able to sustain us (Psalm 55: 22). I don’t usually lose hope in tough situations because growing up I learnt to rely on God’s provision for basically everything in life and He never failed us in our home, even in the most hopeless-looking situations we always found a way out. “Praise the Lord; praise God our Saviour! For each day He carries us in His arms.” (Psalm 68: 19). Thanks for this devotional which is a blessing to me today, Tom, and courage with your battle, indeed there IS hope and our hope is in the Lord. Praying for you, be blessed.
Just to share a few lines from the hook of a song by one of my favourite Christian hip hop artists: from “Hope” by Da’ T.R.U.T.H.
“We all gon’ feel the cares of this life but we got that hope
We all gon’ feel the pressure but know that we got that hope
In case you feel defeated, in Jesus we got that hope.”
gagirllive on February 10, 2017 at 6:29 am
Thanks for sharing those lyrics, godlove. Amen! “We got that hope.” Be blessed, my friend.
Tom Felten on February 10, 2017 at 8:32 am
Thanks for sharing, godlove. The verses you quoted have been true treasures of hope for me over the years. May God fill your heart with hope today!
BearPair on February 10, 2017 at 4:23 am
“Prayer plants the seed that allows hope to grow” I totally agree with this phrase! Two things astound me as I read David’s psalms:
1. God’s ears are always ready to listen, regardless of how dark & full of anguish the situation. David doesn’t water his feelings down; he really “screams” at his heavenly Father at times.
2. Nearly always, as he cries out to God in deep anguish & sorrow, you know before he finishes writing that he will affirm his trust & hope in his Father in heaven. David’s hope rarely fades.
Thanks for this excellent reminder Tom!
gagirllive on February 10, 2017 at 6:23 am
Great points, BearPair. Love this “extended version” of your comments. 🙂
Tom Felten on February 10, 2017 at 8:37 am
So true, BearPair! God can handle our raw emotions . . . and Jesus understands so well our human challenges and suffering. Praise God, however, that we can conclude our heartfelt prayers with praising the One who truly knows us and holds us!
Gary Shultz on February 10, 2017 at 5:38 am
Hi Tom: Words spoken from a man that knows. I humbly say, I have not had to walk that path yet. I was sort of excited to see BearPair’s expanded comments and do agree and appreciate them… There are and will be things and events in life that badly hurt. As the Psalmist, I fully believe God can take our staggering first reactions when we are hit by crushing life experiences. He has made us, He understands we are but dust, and now again He will breath hope into us, as He did life. He shows us the evidence of those things we do not see. Thank God for His wonderful gift of the Spirit who comes beside and gives us hope and shows us hope, whatever the path, “I will be with you”. There is hurt and “There is Hope” the greater of these is hope. If we regain our focus (hope-faith) we can be help to others, as you, Psalms (37:23-24). May we thank Him for his patient grace, and may we seek to apply it, and give it to others. Thanks Tom
gagirllive on February 10, 2017 at 6:25 am
Love all that you’ve shared, BWO. Lots of gems in there!
Tom Felten on February 10, 2017 at 8:42 am
Such a good word choice, Gary: “staggering.” Yes, there is stuff in life that can literally cause us to stagger and even drop us to our knees. But there on our knees—as we gasp in prayer—God meets us and weeps with us.
hsnpoor on February 10, 2017 at 11:58 am
Tom, I’m not sure if I should admit this in this place, but, I feel ashamed, but lead to say that I tend to stagger through some of life’s blows without dropping to my knees. I pray, but my prayer posture is not normally on my knees. But, there are some life events that literally knock me to my knees, with no conscious thought process of my own….WHAM and I’m down. Until God, in his mercy, lifts me up. Hope is the road that lead me to Christ.
Tom Felten on February 11, 2017 at 8:51 am
So true, hsnpoor! I experience the same thing at times. Praise God for His grace . . .
gagirllive on February 10, 2017 at 6:11 am
This is so lovely, Tom…and so rich with encouragement. It’s no surprise that you are comforting others with the same comfort you have received from our Father. And you do it so well! I’m sure that’s one of the reasons you are still here with us—you have a lot of hope to share and glory-reflecting to do, brother. 🙂 My soul has certainly been uplifted by your words many times. Thank you, Tom. You referenced one of my favorite verses on hope in the “More” section—Romans 15: 13. The Lord used that verse to lift me from utter despair a few years ago. He delivered me by that word and still uses it everyday for “maintenance” in my life. He told me that unless I made the DECISION to TRUST Him, I would not experience the joy, peace, and hope that He wants to give me. I have had to come back to that over and over since that revelation. God had to teach me how to be a “prisoner of hope”. (Zechariah 9: 12) And I’m so grateful for the ongoing lesson! Time after time, the Lord has “restored the sparkle” to my eyes. Praise His Wonderful Name! Over and over in scripture we are told to reaffirm our hope in God—actively “put” our hope in Him. It’s something we CHOOSE to do, regardless of feelings. When we choose rightly, feelings will follow. God Himself will infuse our hearts with hope as we turn to Him in faith, pouring our hearts out to Him in prayer. You couldn’t have said it any better, Tom. “Prayer plants the seed that allows hope to grow.” ( Now that’s going down in my notebook of quotes, dear brother!) And I’d like to add, TRUST waters that seed. Miracle of miracles, before we know it, we’re a walking bouquet of peace, joy, and HOPE—carrying the fragrance of Christ with us everywhere we go! And let me just say—you smell mighty good, Tom. 🙂 May God continue to heal, bless, and sustain you, dear brother. Thank you for this wonderful word today. A blessed weekend to all my fellow travelers!
Tom Felten on February 10, 2017 at 8:47 am
Thanks for encouraging my heart today, GG! And, yes, to TRUST is a DECISION. We can, by faith, trust HIm in complete confidence . . . and hope! (Proverbs 3:5-6).
don777 on February 10, 2017 at 7:05 am
John 6:67–68 ESV
So Jesus said to the twelve, “Do you want to go away as well?” Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life,
gagirllive on February 10, 2017 at 8:01 am
I was thinking of that same scripture this morning, don777!! Thank you for sharing this encouragement that Jesus alone has the words of life! Another verse that came to mind is this one from Jeremiah 17: 7 & 8. It’s another one that we need to cling to—“Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, and whose hope is the LORD. For he shall be like a tree planted by the waters, which spreads out its roots by the river, and will not fear when heat comes; but its leaf will be green, and will not be anxious in the year of drought, nor will cease from yielding fruit.” So fitting for today’s word from Tom. (And such a true description of the man himself!) 🙂
hsnpoor on February 10, 2017 at 12:21 pm
Don, I too thought of that scripture. And GG, I thought of another that was similar to the yours, but from Psalm 34:8: “Taste and see that the Lord is good;
blessed is the one who takes refuge in him”. I hope I’m not off base here, but reading Tom’s devotion today made me think back to the beginning of my Christian journey and the scriptures that took me by the hand and arrested my mind. I think I’ve shared before that Matthew 6:25-34 was very instrumental in that process, but I don’t think I’ve ever shared the fact that the story of the 4 lepers in 2 Kings 7:3-20 was also very impactful to me. In a way, that OT story is a demonstration of the John 6:67-68 summary statement. Blessings to all who stop by today! Oh, and BTW, I was gratified by the longer than usual comments by BearPair too! Great sharing!
Tom Felten on February 10, 2017 at 8:50 am
Amen, don777! May we seek the only One, Jesus Christ, who holds both our present and future in His loving hands!