There’s not much we can be sure of today. We live in a culture of broken promises, broken relationships, shallow friendships, and flawed leaders. And that’s just at church.
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After a number of stabbing disappointments, we can come to the place where we expect little else. We can choose to hope for nothing in hopes we won’t be disappointed. When we focus on the here and now—and especially on all the pain life has handed us—the black hole of hopelessness sucks us in and surrounds us.
To the marvelous promise that “God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose,” we need to ponder the rhetorical question that follows: “If God is for us, who is against us?” (Rom. 8:28, 31).
The question gives context to those painful parts of God’s sovereignty in our lives.
Who is Against You?
Of course, we will have many who oppose us. But godly hope comes as we realize that those who stand against us don’t matter when God is for us, because nobody can stand against God.
In spite of all we endure in times of grief, pain, and confusion, nothing we experience or feel can separate us from Christ’s love (see Rom. 8:38–39). In a world that fails us and disappoints us, we need to cling to the One who never will.
God offers true hope—a certain future with a specific outcome. This hope wildly contrasts with the rickety hope the world props up.
Only God can make good on His promises.
The End of Hopelessness
God’s Word urges us to stop assigning hopelessness to the agonizing circumstances we feel in any given moment.
The sharpness of our pain deceives us as to its permanence, yet how often have we seen God turn pain on its head and provide blessings instead? We only need to wait on God.
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Pain and patience often walk in tandem. In fact, the word patience comes from a Latin term that means “suffering.” That’s why the old-fashioned adjective “long-suffering” serves as a synonym for patience.
They go together.
We may think we know the most generous and spectacular solution God could provide for us—usually an immediate one. But He knows the resolution that will astound and bless not only us but others also.
Maybe God requires us to wait on Him in our struggles so that His solution can prove bigger than our expectations could ever imagine. He may choose to provide blessings that correspond with His ability rather than with our understanding.
Don’t give up. God is at work. His plan is bigger than the solution you’re asking for.
Tell me what you think: What are you trusting God for right now? To leave a comment, just click here.
Like This Post? Get the Whole Book!
This post is adapted from Wayne’s book, Waiting on God: What to Do When God Does Nothing.
• What do you do when the life God has promised you looks nothing like the life he has given you?
• If you find yourself waiting on God—or if you don’t know what God wants you to do next—this book offers a wise and practical guide to finding hope and peace in life’s difficult pauses.
You will discover what to do when it seems God does nothing.