During times of trial and persecution, finding hope can be elusive. You trust God and desire to persevere, but discouragement is bound to set in. When these times come, never forget God is able to restore all things. His grace is sufficient for you (2 Corinthians 12:9). Throughout the Word of God, we see the Lord’s care and provision for those who claim Him as their King.
Isaiah 41:10 says, “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” This is the same God, the unchanging God, who is with you no matter what you might be experiencing. He is your strength, and He is your hope.
Finding hope is easier when we remember God is glorified in our weakness and brokenness. In those moments, we surrender everything and cry out to God. At last, we are in a state He can use mightily. When we are weak, He is strong (2 Corinthians 12:9). Until we recognize we cannot stand firm in our own strength, we will continue to fall and be afraid. But when we hold fast in the moments of our deepest despair, God shows His mighty power through our weakness. This can’t happen until we fully surrender to Him.
In Psalm 51:10, David pleads with God to give him a clean heart and restore a steadfast spirit within him. When we empty ourselves of our selfish desires and the illusion of self-sufficiency, God can and will restore His rightful place in our hearts. With God on the throne, we can renew our strength and watch our hope come alive. If God is for us, who can be against us (Romans 8:31-33)? Why should we fear anything man might do to us (Psalm 118:6-8)?
We can trust God’s grace for our daily renewal (2 Corinthians 4:16). Even when the pressures of the world are pressing hard against us, the Lord is working in us to transform us into looking more like Him. All the painful circumstances in our lives serve to refine us and make us worthy of the One who gave His life for us. He loves us and waits for us on the other side of the trial. He will never leave or forsake us (Deuteronomy 31:6).
Finding hope is difficult when we focus our eyes on what is happening to us instead of looking to the One who will deliver us. We find hope in Christ alone. When it is all said and done, He will restore our souls (Psalm 23:3) and lead us along paths of righteousness into His eternal glory. Like Paul, we can know God is causing all things to work together for His plan and for our good (Romans 8:28). Everything we are going through is preparing us for an eternity in His presence, and eternity with Jesus. These light afflictions are molding us to be like Christ, and readying us for eternal paradise where pain, fear, and tears will no longer exist. That is why we can find hope in times of persecution.