Category Archives for Hope

How to Keep Going When the Bottom Falls Out

Life is full of challenges but one of the most difficult times we face is when the bottom falls out and you wonder how you’re going to keep going. It’s easy for people to think, “I just can’t go on.”

But you can.

After all, everyone has trials. Even the big names of the faith whose stories we read in the Bible often struggle.

For Instance, the Apostle Paul found himself alone at the end of an incredible career. He was a prolific church planter. He wrote about 1/2 of the New Testament. But he came to the end of his life alone & discouraged.

How did he respond? The key for him was the presence of the Lord.

Even David in Psalm 23 talks about this when he experienced his deepest, darkest times. He, too, was reassured by the presence of the Lord. His hope is expressed in the phrase, “You are with me.”

It’s life changing to know God is there. He is present in your life.

You may still go through the valleys, but when you have the assurance that God is there, that will make all the difference.

God is with you. You are not alone. The Creator of the Universe is by your side.

What does that look like for you?

Well, you may need to make some adjustments to give God a place in your life. You may need to find a good local church and start attending regularly. You may need to get on a Bible reading plan. You may need to make prayer a part of your thought processes throughout your every day.

You don’t have to become a spiritual giant overnight. But you do have to take some steps to take care of your inner self and give God room so He can be right there with you.

And that will make all the difference.

How to Survive One Wave After Another

As we enter a new year almost everyone has high hopes for a better year over the last two. After struggling through 2020 with Covid-19 and all the lockdowns, we are ready to get back to some sort of normalcy in 2021. Then came higher gas prices, supply chain issues, the Delta variant, and rising inflation. As the year ended another variant, Omicron, arrived on the scene wreaking even more widespread havoc.

It’s as if we are being pummeled by wave after wave, one right after another. It reminds me of the time my family was at the beach in North Carolina’s Outer Banks. One day after swimming in the ocean, my grandfather was walking from the water when a wave came up from behind him and knocked him down, burying him underneath the water.

My grandfather resurfaced and regained his balance, but after one or two steps another wave knocked him down and once again buried him beneath the water. Eventually he made his way to shore, but he was done for the day.

Isn’t that life? Lately it seems like we can’t get a break. Have you ever felt like, “I’m done. I can’t handle another negative wave?” If so, you are not alone.

With that said, there is no single answer for those looking for hope and a brighter future. Over the course of 2022 we’ll look at restoring hope through the Scriptures. In fact, we’ll start with the illustrious King David. You may be thinking that a super hero with giant-killer status is the wrong place to begin.

However, at one difficult point in his life Joab reminded David of “the evil that has come upon you from your youth until now” (2 Samuel 19:7, ESV). Even David’s life was one of waves, one after another. Yet he was able to write, “For God alone, O my soul, wait in silence, for my hope is in him” (Psalm 62:5, ESV).

Let’s make this one of our goals: to remain calm and confident as we rely on the Lord.