It has been a long season of waiting for me.
Longer than I expected.
And when I look back over this time, I can see the full range of emotions I’ve walked through:
- Doubt
- Discouragement
- Wonder
- Questioning
- Second-guessing
Too many to name.
But alongside all of that… I see something else.
I see a steady thread of hope.
Not because everything felt good.
Not because everything made sense.
But because I trust God.
And even when my emotions shifted, that trust held steady. That’s the one thing I’ve been able to rely on.
As I sit in this season, experiencing things I may not be particularly pleased with, I continue to hold onto that trust. It’s what carries me. It’s what reminds me that in the end, this will be all worth it.
It also helps me to embrace what God is doing in me while I wait. Shaping humility, strengthening my faith, and teaching me how to rest in peace even when nothing feels resolved.
This brings me to Romans 15:13, where Paul offers a prayer:
“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”
That verse has stayed with me.
Because in seasons of waiting, when we are looking for answers and sitting in expectation, we need to remember this simple truth:
God is the God of hope.
Hope is not something we have to manufacture.
It’s something we continually return to.
No matter how many emotions rise to the surface, hope is already present because God is present. When discouragement comes, we don’t have to create hope — we lean back into Him.
If we look at the journey of the Israelites, we see this clearly.
They experienced long seasons of waiting, in Egypt, in the wilderness, in exile. And yet, through it all, God still fulfilled His promises. Waiting did not cancel what God had spoken.
And the same is true for us.
Waiting does not cancel the promise.
It may stretch us.
It may refine us.
But it does not change God’s character.
God is not a man that He should lie. Our hope is anchored in who He is, not in how things look right now. To lose hope would mean to lose sight of His character, and that is something we must guard carefully.
In seasons like this, it becomes important to remember.
To look back and recall how God has met us before.
To remember how He carried us through other uncertain places.
To recognize that He did not leave us then and He won’t leave us now.
Lamentations 3:21–23 reminds us that when we call these things to mind, our hope is renewed. His mercies are new every morning, even in the waiting.
I’ve heard people say they don’t allow themselves to hope too much because they don’t want to be disappointed. They would rather expect nothing so that when nothing happens nothing can hurt them.
But I’ve always come back to this question:
What makes their lack of hope different from my decision to hope anyway?
And the answer is simple:
Faith.
Faith is choosing to believe in the promises of God even when there is no visible evidence yet. It is trusting that His character will not allow Him to make a promise He will not keep.
I won’t pretend that waiting is easy. It isn’t.
Discouragement has a way of creeping in. And when it does, it can cloud our perspective of what is true and what is good. That’s why we have to be intentional about holding onto hope.
Because often, hope is reborn in the very places we felt the most discouraged.
And regardless of the circumstances, our hope ultimately rests in this:
Through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, hope is alive.
It doesn’t fade.
It doesn’t expire.
It lives on always.
And because of that, we can continue to wait with expectation, knowing that what God has promised, He will bring to pass.
Prayer: Lord, thank You for helping me keep my perspective in this season of waiting. Thank You for renewing my hope and strengthening me as I move through it.
I am grateful for the gift of Your Son and for the truth that You are the God of hope. Because of You, I can continue to trust, believe, and renew my faith each day. Amen
Our worship song today is by one of my favorite women, such a powerhouse: Never Lost by CeCe Winans
Scripture Writing Section
Write prayerfully:
- Romans 15:13
- Lamentations 3:21–23
After Writing Reflection:
What truth can I return to when hope feels far away?
Reflection Prompts
- Where do I feel discouraged right now?
- What has God been faithful in before?
- What would it look like to choose hope again?