Courage to Hope Again

Discouragement can be described as a considerable loss of confidence or enthusiasm. That sense that our assurance has run from us like mice from a sinking ship, and we just don’t seem to have the energy to engage yet another round of challenges. The rapid fire of painful experiences has left us with a feeling or belief that we cannot rely on God and His Word as we previously thought we could. Our firm trust in the Lord has been violently displaced by burning doubts and we feel wounded…desperately injured…too paralyzed to do anything. Continuing to hope in the Lord is suddenly not high on our list of priorities….

A series of difficult challenges can cause us to slump into a dispirited mental/emotional state where we lose hope…. A darkness grips us… and we feel completely at it mercy…frightfully powerless. Any substantial anticipations of positive outcomes have entirely escaped us. In part, it is that state of becoming predominately dishearten…losing the determination to continue. At times…even suicide seems plausible. We wonder why we should hope again, bother anymore, or even try.

In such times, we need courage to remain true to God, to live out His plan for us, and to hope again. We need hope to traverse this hard journey through our own souls. Beloved, this is especially important when we encounter discouragement, disappointment, or despair in the aftermath of painful adversities. During such testing conditions, we need courage like a drowning man needs a life vest. Our lives depend on it. It is courage that enables us to dare to trust and hope again.... To overcome the fear of being let down…frustrated again...disappointed again…we need “good courage.”

HAVE COURAGE TO RECOGNIZE GOD’S POWER, PRINCIPLE AND PRESENCE

Courage to Hope and to Believe God

Joshua 1:9, Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.

I love the question God asked His new national leader, Joshua, “Have not I commanded thee?” This inquiry provokes God’s leader to look away from the disheartening death of Moses and the incredible challenge of leading God’s people to God Himself. It is a call to recognize the Power of the God of Moses and the God of Israel. Beloved all hope rest in a fundamental trust in Him. His great power surpasses all others, and no one can compare or contend with our God. Anything He commands He will fulfil by His mighty power. Such power promotes encouragement in a significant way. Amid discouragements, doubt your doubts and recognize the truth of God and His awesome situation-changing power.

Another key tactic God uses can be described as real and substantial encouragement to overcome the threatening and undermining power of fear and dismay. Here is the principle, though God’s power is peerless, it can be limited in our individual experiences by our fears. Fear can paralyze us when we should be active, and dismay means our hopes have been utterly shattered by our fears. God stems this tide of terrors with this quick warning against the bone-crushing force of hope-stealing horrors. Respect the power of fear in your life, and limit its influence through trusting God regardless.

One more observation from Joshua 1:9, is helpful at this point—God’s Presence. Again, what stirs courage in the heart like the fresh realization that someone with something meaningful to offer is standing with you every mile of the way? This is not merely a highly capable and well-intention friend; this is Jehovah God Himself talking to you and me. Contrary to the unwarranted suspicions of our fickle minds, God NEVER abandons His people when life hurts. He stands with us to encourage, inspire, empower, and sustain us as we dare to hope again. Beloved, against all odds He still…still…still remains with you through it all. In the good days and awful days, He stays close by to supply us with the courage to continue. Note the observation of W. MacDonald,

Three times Joshua is told by the Lord to be strong and very courageous (vv. 6, 7, 9). The size and duration of the task ahead, the pressures of leading such an obstinate people, and the absence of his spiritual mentor, Moses, were perhaps heavy on Joshua’s mind at this time. But the Lord was not calling him without enabling him. There were good reasons for Joshua to be strong: God’s promise (vv. 5, 6), a sure victory; God’s Word (vv. 7, 8), a safe guide; God’s presence (v. 9), a sustaining power.

The wonderful news is the same benefits are available to every precious child of God caught in the grip of their terrors, disappointments, and despairs because of hard circumstances. We are not left to stew in our confusions and discouragements, God is with you and me all the way. Beloved, take this journey in your own soul through disillusionment back to the place of unparalleled confidence in the Lord Jesus Christ. This is where the HOPE is!

DON’T ALLOW THE DARKNESS TO DESTROY YOUR HOPE!

In times of adversity, things can sometimes seem so bleak and so dark that we are on the verge of giving up hope. The darkness may be amplified by the voices of others, the pressure of the scenario, the intense feelings of hopelessness, and the messages we tell ourselves. Together these communicate the wrong messages to us. We must beware!

Resist the Preachers of Gloom and Doom

Job 2:8-9, And he took him a potsherd to scrape himself withal; and he sat down among the ashes.  [9] Then said his wife unto him, Dost thou still retain thine integrity? curse God, and die. [10] But he said unto her, Thou speakest as one of the foolish women speaketh. What? shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil? In all this did not Job sin with his lips.

Others around us may foretell doom and encourage us to face what they see as inevitable. Job's wife was one such person. After Job was covered with painful boils from the soles of his feet to the crown of his head, she said to him, “Dost thou still retain thine integrity? curse God, and die.” (Job 2:9). This frustrated retort came from a heart that had been crushed by painful developments hyper-compounded and evident fears she was about to finally lose her husband. Her children were dead, their wealth was gone, her husband was very sick, and her hopes were soundly obliterated. All prospects of good have abandoned this suffering soul….

Job wisely responded to her, “Thou speakest as one of the foolish women speaketh. What? shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil?” (v. 10). The Scriptures add this important line: “In all this did not Job sin with his lips.” (v. 10). Jobs was still hanging on to God and what he knew to be true. This is fundamentally how we silence the preachers of gloom and doom. We believe what God disclosed about Himself and refuse false messages from others...including ourselves. Self-talk like, “God does not care,” “There is no point in looking to God,” “Why bother anymore…especially after all you have been through...." "What difference does it make?” Such messages, if tolerated will eat away at your hope and shatter your confidence in God’s promises.  

COURAGEOUSLY CHOOSE TO HOPE IN THE LORD AGAIN

When you are faced with negative circumstances and then negative opinions and comments from others, you need courage to stay positive—to continue to believe that the Lord is with you!  It takes real courage to say and really believe that God is going to intervene in our darkening situation.

    1.  You Must Choose to Hope in the Lord During the Troubles.

A.    Hope and Faith Are Not Automatic Responses in Times of Hardship and Trial.

Beloved, such responses must be deliberately cultivated with every opportunity. Casual efforts or passively gaining or sustaining this perspective will not meet your challenges in a successful manner. Remember God spoke directly to Joshua to strengthen him for the months and years ahead. You and I have the Scriptures to afford God many chances to speak to us deeply, repeatedly, encouragingly, powerfully, and profoundly. While chapter 1 of Joshua is a great place to start, the entire book is an excellent source of hope-building courage!

B.     They Require an Exercise of the Will, Bolstered with Courage.

At times, you must say aloud to yourself, “I know that God has a purpose in this. I know that God will bring me through this. I know that God is a good and loving Father, and He is doing a good and eternal work in my life.”

If no one else speaks hope to you, you need to speak it to yourself. Believe me there are too many Christians out there with a “wet blanket” ministry. They kill every spark of hope that may dare to surface. Avail to yourself specific passages, biblical accounts, and verses that stir you to hope in the Lord God, Jehovah. I also believe faithful Christians should be the most “hope-filled” people on the entire planet. Why not if our hope is centered in the Lord and His Word?

    2.  You Must Recognize the Lord’s Presence as You Face the Troubles Cause by Enemies.

Part of the need for courage also may reside in the fact that…

            A. We have the Need to Withstand the Enemies Who are Moving Against Our Lives. 

In other words, those who are causing your adversity.

Moses realized that would be the case for Joshua and the Israelites, and he said to the Israelites, “Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the Lord thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.” (Deut. 31:6).

It is helpful to know God will not fail us or forsake us as our enemies bare down on us. In addition, having Bible-centered hope does not erase the possibility that things could get worse before they get better.

            B. It Takes Courage to Believe God While Things Get Worse!

It takes courage to continue to believe in God and to have hope in God's power over your enemies while your adversaries are pummeling you into the ground or threatening to do so.

Recall Goliath no doubt found David's claims about the goodness and greatness of God to be ludicrous as he stood in the Valley of Elah and watched a stick of a lad run toward him. But at the end of the day, David had victory in his hand and joy in his heart. (See 1 Sam. 17.)

Ask the Lord to give you courage to continue to believe in Him and in His presence with you as you go through hard-times. Ask Him to renew your hope and faith. I have no doubt He'll honor your request. Psalm 31:23-24, O love the Lord, all ye his saints: for the Lord preserveth the faithful, and plentifully rewardeth the proud doer. [24] Be of good courage, and he shall strengthen your heart, all ye that hope in the Lord. (Read Rom. 4:16–21 also).

 

Beloved, God glorifies Himself in us and through us not simply so that we might be saved but so that we might reflect His life on this earth. He desires that we be conformed to His likeness so that when others see us helping people, declaring the truth of His Word, and trusting in Him regardless of our challenges and despite our adversities, they will want to know more about the love of God and the power of God in us. When we are courageous to do what the Lord both commands and empowers us to do, we truly are His witnesses because we reflect His presence in the world. (C. Stanley)

Our lives have a purpose far beyond comfort, ease, or pleasure. Our lives are intended to be used by God, to fulfill His purposes on the earth.

Take courage today, no matter what you are facing. God will give you courage when you ask Him for it. He will honor your courage in remaining true to Him and His Word, and in giving to others out of your need. A wonderful blessing is in store for the courageous!