Ways To Give

God of Hope

Written by Helen Lescheid

Do you sometimes feel God has forgotten all about you? Would you like to talk to a mentor?

Join us for our Daily Devotional Chat today in our Women’s Chatroom at 10:30 am EDT.

“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” (Romans 15:13, NIV).

My daughter and I were doing dishes, when she quietly said to me, “Mom, it doesn’t work.”

“What doesn’t work?” I asked.

“Prayer.” She picked up a plate to dry it. “We’ve prayed and prayed for Dad (her Father was in the hospital), and he’s not getting better. In fact, he’s worse.” Then her voice dropped to a whisper, “And He does nothing for me either. It’s like God is off playing golf and He can’t be bothered with me.”

Have you ever felt like that? Despite much earnest prayer, nothing seems to be happening.

What’s our response at a time like this? You can either walk away from God or choose to trust Him. That doesn’t mean you’re sticking your head in the sand. Your heart’s cry might be, “I do not understand it and I do not like it; but I choose to believe that God is good and that He is working out His good plan – even now.”

Faith in a loving God gives us hope and stability to get on with life, to make the most of it. Faith lets us know in our heart that God is working quietly like the growing grass, the coloring of leaves, the unfolding of a flower, and just as relentlessly. In time, spring does come.

Eleven years have gone by since by daughter and I had that conversation. Much has happened in the meantime. Although her father did not recover, God has shown His tender loving care to our family in so many personal ways. No, God is not off playing golf.  He’s very much interested in every detail of our lives.

Are you in a “wait” period right now? Let me encourage you: God is working even when nothing seems to be happening. Trust Him.

Thank you, Father, that you have said, “I am the LORD; in     its time I will do
this swiftly” (Isaiah 60:22, NIV).

You can read more of my journey in Treasures of Darkness

Questions: How do you feel when God puts you in a “wait” period?  What helps you to continue trusting God during this period?

About the Author Helen Grace Lescheid

Daily audio podcast: A second daily devotional, Confidence in the Lord, today on the Men’s Devotional Blog

Tags: faith, God, Helen Grace Lescheid, Holy Spirit, hope, hospital, prayer, stability, trust, wait

One Response to “God of Hope”

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• Bonnie Mazzola says:

  August 14, 2009 at 11:40 pm

  I feel very close to what you speak of in this devotional. My daughter, Patti has been struggling with why God would have her husband, Gary be diagnosed with multiple myloema after he had one kidney removed by another type of cancer. They have one child a son who is eight years old. It’s been a year and a half for the doctors to try and put him into remission. But it’s not working. Next month Gary will need to be given a bone marrow transplant at U of M in Michigan. He will remain in isolation until a new immune system. Although the long wait for the doctors to decide to do this procedure, I believe has made my daughter stronger and Gary more hummble. Their hanging on by a thread. I would love to forward this on to her but since this devotional speaks of the father dieing it might bring up more fear. Please pray for Patti, Gary and Cameron. This beautiful family will be seperated and needs the glue that binds, faith, hope, trust and love in Christ Jesus our Lord and Savior. Please pray that the Lord through the guidance of the Holy Spirit will give to me what I will need to help where help is needed. I am so glad that Christ is in my life. His daily presence is a comfort to me and I hope that both Gary and Patti will also know His Glorious presence is with them, also.l
  Glory be the name, Jesus
  A concerned Mother

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