Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” (Matthew 19:26)
Recently, a friend I hadn’t seen in several years reached out to me. After we caught up on small talk about our families and careers, she said, “I need prayer. I need help. I need hope.”
As she shared her heart, I could hear the hurt in her voice. Life had dealt her some doozies, and as she put it, she was simply “done.” She almost couldn’t receive what I had to say because her hurt ran so deep. She hadn’t lost her faith in God, but she had lost her joy, and she had definitely lost her hope.
Hopelessness.
If you’ve ever experienced it, you know how awful it feels. Hopelessness sucks you dry of any peace or victory in your life. It can be almost suffocating, stealing the Word from your heart and blanketing you with heaviness. When hopelessness sets up camp in your heart, it leaves no room for happiness. (Maybe that’s where the expression “She’s not a happy camper” came from?) Bottom line: Hopelessness is not of God.
Actually, Satan is the king of hopelessness. He loves to get out his big old magnifying glass and have you look through it. He’ll show you all of the problems in your life and whisper, “Look how big they are! Your problems are beyond fixing. They are too big for God.” But let me tell you something: Satan is also the father of all lies. So if he tells you that your problems are too big for God, you can boldly say, “Liar, liar pants on fire! Nothing is impossible for my God!”
Some of you reading this blog may have lost your hope today; well, I have such good news for you: We can get your hope back right now. You say, “But, Michelle, you can’t fix my problem.” You’re right, I can’t. But I’ll tell you what I told my friend: I know someone who can–our Heavenly Father. Not only can he fix your problems, he is willing to do so.
You have to do your part. You have to get your faith on. You have to believe that he is able to do all things, and then stand on that promise whenever Satan whispers lies in your ears. You have to believe that God is able to come through for you–no matter how bad the circumstances appear. Do you believe?
Pray this right now: Lord, I am feeling hopeless today. I am overwhelmed with the problems in my life, but I know that you are able to do all things. And I am asking you to intervene on my behalf. I praise you today for the victories that are yet to come. Please remove the hopelessness from my heart and replace it with supernatural happiness. Let my life bring glory and honor to you and encourage those around me. Amen.
Be encouraged today because God is working behind the scenes on your behalf right this very minute. Begin praising God for the answer and keep that heart of gratitude in spite of the circumstances. Hang onto your hope, and happiness is sure to come.
