WHEN ALL HOPE SEEMS LOST

 

Prov 13:12

 

It has been said “That a person can live three minutes without air, three days without water, three weeks without food, but not one second without hope. When all hope seems lost where do you turn to? You know those moments in life when you feel like all hope is lost? This may be due to a massive difficult circumstance or a speed bump that messes with your day. There are many people today when receiving terrible news. And they hang their heads is sadness because they have nothing for them to turn to. It’s hard to see any relief or hope when you can’t see the forest for the trees. Even in our times of despair or lack of hope…… one thing is true!

God is with the believer.

He is Close, and He always present.

 

You need to remind yourself of this truth daily, you must preach this to yourself constantly throughout the day. John Piper said “Hoping in God does not come naturally for sinners like us. We must preach it to ourselves, and preach diligently and forcefully, or we will give way to a downcast and disquieted spirit.” There’s a reason the Bible reminds of how close God truly is. “The Lord is close to the broken-hearted, he saves those who are crushed in spirit.” Psalm 34:18. Hope is a complex state of mind, desire and expectation, we define it as an hoping desire. Hope implies a future good, a belief in the possibility of obtaining something. There are two kinds of hope….. “Worldly or temporal hope and the hope of believers is the other. In a general sense, hope is a mental focus or feeling of anticipation regarding a future outcome, either of something we want to happen or wish to be true or don’t want to happen or be true. Secular hope is a subjective expectation; it may be solidly based or misguided, as it does not consider God’s will. We hope for things we want (I hope I get the job; I hope she’ll marry me). We hope for good outcomes (I hope my child returns home safely; I hope I don’t get sick). But worldly hope is not a virtue, as it usually contains some degree of uncertainty, doubt, and personal bias and can often be misdirected and selfishly motivated.”

A biblical definition of hope is…. “The sure and confident expectation of receiving what God has promised us in the future. The believer’s hope is not a faint or obscure wish but “an anchor for the soul, firm and secure.” In Scripture, hope is a virtuous quality because it contains no doubt, always trusting in God’s faithfulness and presence no matter the circumstances, whether good or bad.

 

The text that is before us this morning reveals that… Man’s object of hope is often long delayed. “Hope deferred” The delay is generally very trying. “Makes the heart sick” The trial of the delay is fully compensated in its realization. “is a tree of life.” Unfortunately, we live in a culture that proclaims something about this reality of hopelessness as they are faced with decisions everyday that effect their every day lives. As Christians, “You’ve prayed and prayed and prayed and prayed” and have yet to see an answer. What is God doing? You are beside yourself at a decision your child or a loved one has made. How could this happen? That coworker, friend, or relative grinds at your nerve’s day after day. Really, God? It here we need to listen to what God is saying. “Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation” Psalm 42:5

David felt lost, hopeless and abandoned by God and this was the result of him taking his eyes of the Lord. “How long, O LORD? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me? How long must I take counsel in my soul and have sorrow in my heart all the day? How long shall my enemy be exalted over me?” Psalm 13:1-2

 

How can we find hope when all seems lost, delayed, or when life is not going the way, you hoped?

 

A great example of this is in the prophet Elijah, our fully surrendered prophet, had labored courageously for the Lord, and it seemed to him it was all for nothing. Despite a resounding and divine victory over the prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel, the people had only temporarily turned to God. (Turn With Me To 1 Kings 19) It’s here in the quiet still voice of God that speaks directly to the heart to rest and know that God has it all under control in His perfect timing.

After a powerful wind, earthquake, and fire, Elijah heard the voice of the Lord not in those dramatic events but in a "still, small voice" or a "gentle whisper". This biblical moment is used to teach that God often reveals himself through quietness and can be found through inner reflection or a soft, persistent inner voice, rather than just through overt power.

 

It’s here when all hope seems lost, we look for God’s purpose,

this is where we need to listen to hear what He is asking of you.

 

What do I mean? Notice, if He is putting a particular task in front of you to do, and especially listen to see if God has called you to a task that has kingdom purpose. A position in the church that could use your help, a place to serve to use your gifts. Being removed from your comfort level and putting your faith to work. Someone to minister too, who is going through a struggling time in their life. Calling others in the church to encourage them in their daily life. Paul wrote, “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” Eph 2:10

 

It’s hard to remind ourselves of this when our hope seems dimly lite. (v12) “deferred” in the passage means “to put off” or “drag out,” as in a long, drawn-out process. (Who likes long drawn-out processes?) “Hope deferred” is saying “The delay of our hopes and prayers can be discouraging and emotionally taxing, leading to a feeling of sickness or despair.” But when our expectations are delayed for a long time, we can experience disappointment, disillusionment, and loss of hope.

 

“Hope deferred” can look like many things to the believer…. A prayer of salvation for a loved one that continues unanswered year after year. A long-term battle with cancer, or a troubling battle among family. A long wait for a relationship that leads to marriage and family. Hannah, prayed for years for a son, but her hope was deferred as she remained barren while her rival provoked her. Joseph, was sold into slavery and then imprisoned, Joseph's dream of leadership was deferred for a long time. David, after being anointed as king in his youth, David had to wait many years and endure hardship before he could finally ascend to the throne.

 

As we eagerly hope for something important, and it keeps being postponed, the longing we feel can make our heart sick. The word “heart” in the passage embodies not only the mental or emotional core but the whole inward person. If something “makes the heart sick,” it causes despair and affliction, and unrest. What this text is saying, “When hope is crushed, the heart is crushed.” Hope deferred can lead to depression, anxiety, and actual physical sickness. When you feel anxious, your body releases stress hormones like adrenaline and cortisol, leading to physical symptoms such as a racing heart, rapid breathing, sweating, and trembling.

 

Sadly, there are millions, and I mean millions of people, who try different things to cope with a crushed heart. Drinking alcohol, doing drugs, spending money, over eating, and even listening to sad music. New age practices try using white noise to help their cortisol levels in your body; millions of people listen to a specific frequency to reduce stress & cortisol levels. A recently new practice called “Mindfulness” which is taught in Canadian schools, it involves paying attention to your thoughts, feelings, bodily sensations, and surroundings to understand your experience as it happens, rather than getting carried away by worries about the past or future. This can be cultivated through techniques like mindful breathing, and other things. And sadly, all these things are temporal coping mechanisms, you could say “band-aids”; masks that blind you to the real problem, because without Christ, there is no true peace in the midst of a crushed heart.

 

For the Believer….  When we wait for a good thing or for something to be resolved, and it takes longer then desired, it can result in hopelessness, which can make you feel spiritually dried up and vulnerable to the enemy’s attacks. This is where biblically, feeling anxious is seen as a signal to turn to God through prayer, casting your cares on Him, and trusting in His strength and promises. This is why Solomon says in Proverbs 3:5-6. “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.” This is why Peter, from personal experience. Says, “Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.” 1 Peter 5:6-7

Ask yourself…

Do you daily push off hope as it pertains to your marriage?

Do you lose hope in a unresolved conflict?

Do you consistently refuse to be hopeful as it pertains to your spouse’s flaws and failures or for your children?

Are you avoiding being hopeful about your wayward child?

Are you postponing hope for the country you’re living in until the politician you vote for gets elected?

Are you deferring hope for answered prayers?

Are you intentionally preventing yourself from hoping God will give you a spouse or a child?

Are you stopping yourself from hoping God will give you victory over sin because you keep failing?

 

We all feel this way from time to time; when life seems to be out

of place and not going according to Michael.

 

You feel your whole world being turned upside down, and you have moments of doubt, and your hope seems to lose air like a balloon falling from the sky. The dangers of this, if you prolong this way of reasoning and thinking…. People choose to see the worst in life in order to protect themselves from any potential letdown. Pessimists resist hope because they see hope as a reckless and dangerous device bent on cruelty. When we see the worst in things, or in people, and then convince ourselves that nothing will ever change, we’re do great harm to our own heart. When we foolishly write the future in order to avoid further disappointment, we’re thinning the walls of our spiritual arteries and weakening the muscle of our spiritual heart.

Intentionally pushing hope away makes the heart sick, which in turn shortens the spiritual life of our earthly existence. This text of Scripture highlights that while delays in one's desires can lead to discouragement, the fulfillment of those desires brings great joy and refreshment. No one likes waiting. It feels good to get what we want. But we need to understand that these delays are desires fulfilled.

 

Corrie Ten Boom wrote, "Never be afraid to trust an unknown future to an all-knowing God."

“Desire fulfilled” is referring to when our hopes are finally realized, it is a deeply satisfying and revitalizing experience, like the life-giving fruit from a "tree of life".

 

The longer and more anxiously you wait and toil for a good, the higher the enjoyment when its grasped. A believer will go through hope deferred temporarily, but they never lose hope, for they know I AM, who keeps His word. (v13-v14) This is where our hope needs to be strengthened, because our lives are in His time clock, and His ways are not our ways. An encouraging example of this is Simeon who waited for the consolation of Israel. Year after year he would enter the courts and wait and pray. and wait and pray for this promise. We read in Luke’s gospel the long-awaited glory of the Son of God. A hope deferred is now a hope of eternal joy. “Now there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon, and this man was righteous and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord's Christ. And he came in the Spirit into the temple, and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him according to the custom of the Law, he took him up in his arms and blessed God and said, “Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace, according to your word; for my eyes have seen your salvation that you have prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to your people Israel.” And his father and his mother marveled at what was said about him. And Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, “Behold, this child is appointed for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign that is opposed (and a sword will pierce through your own soul also), so that thoughts from many hearts may be revealed.” Luke 2:25-35

 

A realized divine hope is “indeed” a tree of life, hope in fruition is the Eden of the soul, the promise of God to send a Saviour for our wretched souls. What we are suppose to do in these seasons and moments of life is to hope in Him more and more, to do His perfect will and work us. The journey of waiting is difficult, but the eventual success is immensely rewarding.  As Simeon said, “My eyes have seen Your salvation.” It acknowledges the pain of waiting while emphasizing the joy and nourishment that comes from achieving one's goal through His grace. The hope might be deferred, but the Christian, that is tried in every emotion and strength, will not give up this hope, though it might make them sick for a season.

As one ancient writer wrote, “Hope is the last thing that dies in a man.”

 

What does difficulty produce that makes

our hope stronger?

 

Hope gives the heart health and the will strength to endure.

Hope in the heart gives the mind clarity.

Hope in the heart gives the soul true joy and peace of mind.

Hope is likened unto a tree of life whose fruit provides eternal life.

Hope keeps a person going in any trouble, trial, or tragedy.

Hope keeps a spouse loving, talking, and trying in a difficult marriage.

Hope keeps a patient eating, walking and praying in a painful illness.

Hope keeps a believer rebounding and fighting in the face of besetting sins. 

Hope is the virtue that keeps a person sane, joyful and upright in any circumstance or relationship.

Jeremiah learned this when staring at a broken nation and feeling total despair in Lamentations. “But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope: The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. “The LORD is my portion,” says my soul, “therefore I will hope in him.” The LORD is good to those who wait for him, to the soul who seeks him.” Lam 3:21-25

 

This is why we….. Don’t let fear keep you from welcoming hope into your lives each and every morning. Fear will tell you that Hope Is Dangerous, and that it will cause you further pain down the road. Wisdom will tell you that living without Hope is life-threatening and that your heart will get sick without it.  Have hope that God still answers prayer.

 

Have hope that God will help you get victory over your struggles.

Have hope that God will help you and your spouse have a better marriage.

Have hope that God will continue to work in your child’s life.

Have hope that God will guide you through the dark days that seem to cloud over the freeing gospel of Jesus Christ.

One theologian wrote, “Dashed hopes sicken the heart, and the higher the expectations, the greater the frustration. While getting what we desire can be an excellent thing, we must not allow the pursuit of fulfillment to become a temptation to sin. Waiting is an opportunity to trust 

 God and allow Him to work in our hearts and strengthen our character”

 

Paul wrote, “But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.” Rom 8:25 It’s waiting to see what God is going to do in this moment without expecting my desired outcome, but His. Paul also wrote earlier to prepare us to patiently wait, “and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.” 

Rom 5:4-5

 

We ought to see these long stretches as opportunities to turn to God and depend on Him in our weakness as David did. “For God alone, O my soul, wait in silence, for my hope is from him….” Psalm 62:5-6

 

When hope deferred makes your heart sick, this is your opportunity to look to Jesus Christ. “And now, O Lord, for what do I wait? My hope is in you.” Psalm 39:7

 

When we place our hope in Christ alone, we won’t be disappointed, for He is a strong and trustworthy anchor for our souls. “We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters into the inner place behind the curtain, where Jesus has gone… Heb 6:13-20

 

The gospel of Christ is our hope for every generation.

Noah had this hope

Job had this hope

Abraham had this hope

David had this hope

The Prophets had this hope

The Shepherds had this hope

Simeon had this hope

The Disciples had this hope

The Church has this hope

Paul said “But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like His glorious body, by the power that enables Him even to subject all things to Himself.” Phil 3:20-21 

It’s in this hope when life feels deferred, prolonged, that produces the greatest blessing….

 

When I fail and fall to temptation of sin, my hope is in Him to rescue me from myself.

When I stumble and become discouraged because of my current situation, my hope is in Him regardless of the outcome because of the love He pours into my heart.

When I lack faith to understand He knows what’s best for me, I hope in Him.

When I don’t do the right thing or say the right words, I hope in Him to correct me with words of grace.

When I don’t love others like I’m supposed to, I hope in Him to show me how to love.

When I yell at my kids for disrupting my peace and quiet, I hope in Him to reveal how to love like a father should.

When I forget to selflessly think of others above myself, I hope in Him to remind me about His selfless love when He died for me.

Our hearts should always strive to reveal our deep-seated joy, and hope, that we have in the gospel; it’s because of Christ that we have a hope at all.