PRAY AND STAY
A teacher stood in front of her class, holding out a glass half full of water, and challenged her students to explain the meaning of this illustration. The students yelled out several answers until finally, they were out of suggestions. Finally, the teacher explained, "It is not whether the glass is half empty or half full that matters. It is how long you have to hold the glass." She explained that we could hold out our arms for a while, but eventually, the glass becomes heavy, and we need to call for help. I have learned by experience that even the lightest burdens in life can seem very heavy when I carry them for weeks, months, or even years. Perhaps like me, you have been waiting for answers to your prayers, healing for yourself or someone you love, or a change in a particular situation.
Do you feel like giving up? Have you lost your hope and thought, "Why bother? I can't keep on going?" You are not alone. Jesus sees the heavy burden you carry even though it is invisible to others. When I felt hopeless and ready to give up during a dark time in my life, I felt embarrassed because I once read that Christians should never be without hope. My burden grew heavier, and I even wondered about my salvation because I felt hopeless. God met me in the agony of despair and taught me a valuable lesson about real hope through Paul's words. He wrote, "May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit" (Romans 15:13). At that moment, I realized that hope comes from God. I understood that I am never without hope because I have access to God. I had prayed to God about my burdens for years, but it never occurred to me to ask Him for hope. This truth swept away the clouds of despair and warmed my heart with rays of divine hope.
In this challenging experience, I learned that hope is not something I conjure up on my own. God taught me that hope is His gift, and, as His child, it is mine for the asking. My part is to pray and trust Him. His part is to fill me with joy and peace through the power of the Holy Spirit. I learned by experience that God keeps His promises. As I prayed and trusted God, the Holy Spirit drowned out despair with a flood of joy and peace. My heart overflowed with the kind of hope that gave me the strength to put one foot in front of the other.
Paul commended the Thessalonians for their "…endurance inspired by hope in the Lord Jesus Christ" (1 Thessalonians 1:3). God used these words to teach me that I can endure hardship for years only when I hang my hope on Jesus. He alone has the power to meet my every need and fill the cavernous longings of my heart. I still have moments of hopelessness when my eyes drift to the misery of certain situations. I still get bombarded with discouraging thoughts from the enemy, but today I know my hope comes from God.
Have your burdens grown heavy? Has hopelessness colored your world gray? Jesus understands. He sees your invisible heartache. Jesus Christ is "…our hope" (1 Timothy 1:1). I want to encourage you to pray and stay. Instead of running away, stay close to Jesus because He is the Source of hope you need. He wants to fill your empty heart with an overflowing hope, so you can outlast your troubles no matter how long they last! That is how you and I can persevere and endure hardship with real hope!
My Hope is in Him,
Beth