Welcome to another day the Lord has made that we should rejoice and be glad in. (Psalms 118:24)

Storms lesson number four: What to do in the midst of hope stealing storms

Today’s scripture, Acts 27:18‭-‬20 (NLT) shares…
The next day, as gale-force winds continued to batter the ship, the crew began throwing the cargo overboard. The following day they even took some of the ship’s gear and threw it overboard. The terrible storm raged for many days, blotting out the sun and the stars, until at last all hope was gone.

Consider…
Everyone enjoys, and prefers, happy endings. This is especially true when we’ve done all the right things. But what do we do when desired outcomes don’t come to fruition? When time weakens our faith and strengthens our doubt. What happens when our hope is devastated by repeated disappointments like…

• Unfulfilled dreams
• Unanswered prayers, or ‘no’ answers
• Death of loved ones, especially those you asked God to heal
• Chronic pain and health deterioration
• Unending unemployment, or underemployment
• Increasing expenses, coupled with static or diminishing income
• Strengthening Strongholds overwhelming our overcoming
• When you’re throne into the fiery furnace or lions den.

Most, if not all, of us have experienced hopelessness or severe disappointment in our lives. I can say that confidently, because the Son of God did during His travail here on earth. Luke 19:41‭-‬44 (NLT) shares…
But as he came closer to Jerusalem and saw the city ahead, he began to weep. “How I wish today that you of all people would understand the way to peace. But now it is too late, and peace is hidden from your eyes. Before long your enemies will build ramparts against your walls and encircle you and close in on you from every side. They will crush you into the ground, and your children with you. Your enemies will not leave a single stone in place, because you did not recognize it when God visited you.”

Jesus was extremely disappointed, and devoid of hope for the people who wouldn’t recognize Him, and be saved.

Merriam-Webster defines hopeless as…

• having no expectation of good or success : DESPAIRING
• giving no reason to expect good or success : giving no ground for hope : DESPERATE

I believe that sometimes our obligatory christianity covers up our Christ-like transparency.

Because of Hebrews 11:1 (KJV)…
Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

And 2 Corinthians 5:7 (KJV)…
for we walk by faith, not by sight

We’re reluctant to admit sometimes that all hope is lost.

Today’s scripture was selected because it represents the reality that many of us are familiar with, which is we’ve done all we can to weather the storms in our lives, but we get to a point when persistently worsening conditions kills all of our hope.

May I be real for a moment, there’s nothing worse or more debilitating than hopelessness.

Moreover, the opposite of hope is doubt. I submit the scales of action in our lives lean to whichever is more prevalent, hope or doubt. When we have more hope, we exercise more faith. However when we’re weighed down by doubt, we can become paralyzed by fear.

I’ve wrestled with Jesus’ honest prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane. I don’t think He feared death, but His prayer might suggest He was afraid of suffering. Why wouldn’t He be, knowing the excruciating physical pain and heavenly abandonment the He would have to endure. I am not saying the Son of God feared for His life, I am wondering aloud if the heart of the Son of Man hoped he didn’t have to die in the manner that he had too. Appreciate, Jesus knew He would have to bear the full wrath of God for sin. 😰 Rather than try to defend my supposition, how about you just read Luke 22:41‭-‬44 (NLT)…
He walked away, about a stone’s throw, and knelt down and prayed, “Father, if you are willing, please take this cup of suffering away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine.” Then an angel from heaven appeared and strengthened him. He prayed more fervently, and he was in such agony of spirit that his sweat fell to the ground like great drops of blood.

Man, that is packed with transforming takeaways…

• Jesus was honest about not wanting to SUFFER.
• Jesus admitted He would SUBMIT to His Father’s will
• His Father didn’t spare him, He strengthened him
• He continued to pray and agonize over what he faced

Hopefully that encourages us to be real with God, when all hope is lost and we’re tempted to give up.

So, what do you do when all hope is lost? The answer is found in Jesus’ prayer…
Yet I want your will to be done, not mine.

I often looked at these words as obedience and submission, but today the Holy Spirit showed me they’re actually a testament of trust!

The only way you can say “not my will but thine”, is that you trust His will is what’s best for you. Indeed that you believe Jeremiah 29:11 (NLT), which says…
For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.

What do you do when all hope is lost? Trust God!

You see trusting God is transferring Our hope for a desired outcome to putting our hope in The Source, where our hope comes from.

When all hope seems lost…

• Transparently
• Release your
• Unbelievable
• Situations
• Totally to God

Today’s song is…
I Trust You

Blessings 4HG (1 Corinthians 10:31)