HOPE THAT WON'T DISAPPOINT

By Shara Carara

“Kings will be your foster fathers, and their queens your nursing mothers. They will bow down before you with their faces to the ground; they will lick the dust at your feet. Then you will know that I am the Lord; those who hope in me will not be disappointed.”—Isaiah 49:23 (NIV)

God’s chosen nation of Judah was in a season of discouragement and started doubting the fulfillment of the promised “covenant to the people to restore the earth,” as they endured hardship. “The Lord has forsaken me, and My Lord has forgotten me,” was their cry as they plunged into feelings of hopelessness, reacting to the circumstances that faced them rather than clinging to the assurance of hope in their God’s love. 

But it was in this moment that God gave them the promise we read above . . . that of a future Redeemer, the Messiah, Jesus Christ who would bring the message of salvation and be a light to all the nations.

In the midst of suffering, it’s easy to feel that you’ve been forsaken. The year my daughter was to enter her first year of college was also the same year I unexpectedly lost my job. At the beginning, I had so much hope that the Lord would provide, that I would get a job soon. But with each passing month, that hope started to dissipate quickly. 

Now, this single mom was in a state of discouragement and fear! Waves of panic and worry washed over me, not just momentarily, but quite often, as I started reconsidering the start date for my daughter’s college. I couldn’t help but wonder how I was going to pay rent and the many bills that started piling up. 

I knew the promises of God. I read it in His Word. I recited it over and over. I prayed earnestly, and yet month after month and several job rejection letters later, I became stuck on the question, “Lord, why have you forsaken me?” I was losing hope in Him, His promises, and His timing.

This is where God’s people found themselves, and this is where the Lord, who heard their cry, reminded them, saying, “See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands, your walls are ever before me” (Isaiah 49:16). Think about it: Engraving is permanent! So, even in the momentary troubles, the Lord never forgets about us in our times of struggle, sickness, unemployment, or lack. He will never forsake those whose hope is in Him. 

The question the Lord laid before me during my time of unemployment is the same question He will ask you: “Will you put your hope in Me, the source of all things no matter what you are facing? Or is your hope in the resource of a person or job?” When our hope is in the Lord, He will never disappoint us. At His appointed time, His promises will be fulfilled. He is faithful!

Pause and Reflect: Ask yourself, “Is my hope in the source of all things, Jesus Christ or in His resources such as a job or other people?”

Practice: Write down the discouragement you're facing and ask the Lord to reveal His faithfulness as you build up your hope in Him.

Pray: Thank the Lord for His timing, for His faithfulness, and His blessings in the waiting. Ask Him for the strength and an increased measure of faith (Mark 9:24).