“Hope is not a feeling; it is a reality grounded in the character of God, whose purposes are unshakable.” [1]

Sometimes, I feel like my heart is being ripped out of my chest while I can’t even breathe properly. I feel as though I’m dying from the fear of what is happening and what might happen. It’s like I’m burdened with death, and something inside me has been buried in the grave while I crawl here, and my body, mind, soul, and life are out of control. These days, I surrender to the belief that God’s promises are empty. I tell myself it’s over, this won’t pass, and His words won’t come to fruition. I deafen myself to the Lord’s comfort, allowing negativity and unbelief to engulf my soul and taint my entire being. But what I didn’t understand at the time is that hope is not a feeling; it’s a reality grounded in the character of God, who is absolutely, completely, undeniably, veritably, irrefutably, and unquestionably truthful and believable.

The hope of God is not rooted in a fleeting emotion; it’s anchored in the reality of God’s love (Romans 5:5, NASB). He is not a God who will let us down; our hope will not end in shame. It’s not naive or baseless. Hope is not a distant ideal or a wish; it’s a lived reality poured into the heart through the Holy Spirit. The character of the God we believe in is love and faithfulness, which is why He will never disappoint us. Our hope is firm and secure; it’s an anchor that secures a ship during a storm, preventing us from being tossed by the waves of emotions and situations. The hope that we received through Christ is not fragile but reliable amidst the chaos (Hebrews 6:19, NASB).

“God’s delays are not His denials. Let Him finish His work…And the moment of difficulty is often the moment of our greatest triumph when we put our trust entirely in Him. Out of the most severe difficulties, God brings the sweetest songs of hope” [2].

Behind the closed door, I crawl,

My tears have looked up for so long.

And now, candidly, I don’t even know,

whether I’m heard or left alone.

What’s the remuneration for my wasted time?

For my hindered healing, I craved,

Tell me,is your mouth sealed by silence in my cruel clime.

How shall I call upon you,

so you listen to my long-belled chime?

Oh God, have I mistaken your goodness?

Why is my soul exhausted from waiting on you?

Am I doubting your words? Why does this feel like denial?(Isaiah 55:8-9 (NIV))

Dear God,Silence the voice in my mind ; I want to hear you,

Cause my hope, deep down, my soul already knows,

How your time is worth waiting for. (Ecclesiastes 3:11 (NIV))

Though my thoughts try to deceive me, and I stumble between your season and my clock,

My God, my soul already knows, in my weariness, you’re ever so close.(Isaiah 40:29-31 (NIV))

At times, we often fall into a trap of haste; we rush to grasp our hopes. It’s indisputable that we, as humans, get tired of things, but,in my experience, what I have understood is that the times I thought I was falling apart and very far from my destiny and the hope that God promised me were actually the times I was closer than ever.As the Bible says, our thoughts and ways are different from His, and His timing is perfect. His clock is not like ours. That’s why we must rely on the faithfulness and truth of the words of God. He will teach us and make our minds and hearts a house of peace if, in all kinds of situations, we run and solely rely on the strength He has placed in us.My God, teach me, coach me, and impart to me so that I can be devoted to knowing You more than fussing over my clock. Take the impatience and restless heart out of me and place it with the warmth of your hope. Amen.

I toss my coin, and both sides show a fate of failure. My cards are outdated. I’m not enough, and who am I to have the privilege of hope for tomorrow? Well, yeah, I’m nothing. That’s why I need to put my hope in Christ, for I have failed and I’ll likely fail again and again. I don’t believe in any of my strength, but my God has me. My God got me; He will endure me; He will clutch me. These shackles are unbearable, but the God who saved my soul is faithful enough to spare me from the sorrow that surrounded me. So I rest in the Lord. (Isaiah 40:29-31, NIV).

“Hope is only as strong as its source. That’s why the foundation of our hope must be God and the promises found in His Word.”[4] What do I hope for, for whom do I wait? I question my heart, the one I anticipate. Am I really longing for God, or am I expecting people’s hollow vow?

I relied on people countless times, and that broke me so dreadfully.And I know there is only one God whose promises don’t break, for He is so faithful and loves me more than Himself. I know His love is all I can lean on. He is the source of my hope, a fount of my desire, a root of my peace that trims my insidious fire.So for me, I fix my eyes on Him, for He is loyal, and He is the fullness of my want. I do not base my hope on fleeting things; I anchor my hope in the God that’s unshaken, to not be left nor forsaken. I build my hope on the firmest foundation. He’s not fragile; His strength does not waver, I build my hope on the God of my foundation. (Psalm 146:3-5 (NIV),Jeremiah 17:5-7 (NIV),Psalm 118:8-9 (NIV),Psalm 62:5-6 (NIV),Proverbs 3:5-6 (NIV),Hebrews 6:19 (NIV))

“I need Christ, not something that resembles Him. Reality is not merely beautiful but also hard and terrible. For it is in facing this reality that hope is renewed” [3] And most of all, what matters is seeking God Himself rather than merely seeking comfort, which is delusional. I know that the reality of the world is not solely beautiful and comforting, and though this multifaceted duality of life—pain, suffering, and challenges—may take away my privileges, I hold on to hope where my spirit is fed. I must seek Christ Himself rather than be diminished by the harshness of the sorrow that comes my way. His love beckons in the middle of the fire and rain(Psalm 34:18, NIV).

Despite the strife, God has a purpose and a hopeful future in store for me, for I believe in Him; He will guide me through the night. I’ll feed my soul with the divine vocation and radiant future that my God has given me. And most of all, this is the hope and joy of my soul: He has prepared a home for me with Him, and my heaven is Christ Himself, where peace and love abound.Revelation 21:3-4 (NIV),Titus 1:2 (NIV),Philippians 3:20 (NIV),John 14:2-3 (NIV).

[1] My Utmost for His Highest, July 11 entry.
[2] Streams in the Desert by L.B. Cowman.
[3] A Grief Observed by C.S. Lewis, Chapter 4.
[4]The-Power-of-Hope by Joyce meyer