How to Trust God When Your Situation Feels Hopeless
If you don’t get the thing you desire most, will you still believe God is good? Will you continue to believe He is faithful if His timeline never matches yours or His will for your life is completely different than the one you dreamt up years ago?
There may come a time when your faith is challenged. You’ll feel that you did all the right things. You were faithful and trusted God yet you’ll find yourself in a place you don’t want to be (and maybe never thought you’d be). I found myself there a couple of times. There are promises I waited years for, and promises I’m still waiting on. The wait can because to feel like a weight - a burden. In those times, I’ve not always had perfect faith. In said I trusted God but in reality, I was filled with doubt. I knew God could, but I doubted if He would. In all honesty, my hope had died.
Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths
Proverbs 3:5-6
Re-Connecting to the Source
When your faith is dry and your hope is waning, it’s not time to quit. On the contrary, this is where your roots have to grow deep. A friend of mine equated it to a well. There are times when wells run dry. The water source is no longer available at the current state. The water is there, but in order to find it, you have to dig deeper.
Did you know that trees without deep roots are more easily knocked over when a storm comes? Having everything they need at the surface is convenient, but it doesn’t serve them well in times of trouble. When a drought comes, the trees can either adapt or suffer. The ones that endure are the ones whose roots grow deeper into the ground in search of nutrients. In the long run, these trees are better equipped to withstand storms and droughts because they are connected to the source.
“But blessed is the one who trusts in the LORD, whose confidence is in him. They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.”
Jeremiah 17:7-8
These seasons are not evidence of God forsaking you. There are actually an invitation and challenge to grow and know Him on a deeper level. What sustained you in the last season won’t always sustain you in the next. Life doesn’t get easier, but if you submit to the process God will make you stronger. The trials, dry seasons, and waiting periods are where He does it.
Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.
James 1:2-4
God Hasn’t Abandoned You
Friend, there is no condemnation if you’re in this place. It’s okay if you don’t have all the answers. We grow in trusting God, and we grow in understanding that we may never fully understand His ways on this side of heaven. God’s ways are not ours, they are higher (Isaiah 55:8-9). Little by little God is refining each of us and helping us grow in our faith so that we can become more like Jesus. If you’re struggling to trust God or overwhelmed by the disappointment thenI want to encourage you with two things.
You’re not the only one. I’ve been there too, and so have countless others.
You’re not forsaken. God hasn’t forgotten you nor is He punishing you. That’s not who He is.
I can’t tell you why this is happening but I can assure you that God is still in control. His promise of working all things together for the good isn’t void for your life (Romans 8:28). If you’re wondering if He’s still good remember this one thing - the only promise worth building your faith on is this - “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16).
So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.
2 Corinthians 4:16-18
How to Dig Deeper
For me, digging deeper always starts with seeking God about the source of my disappointment. Disappointment and frustration are birthed when expectations are unmet. Somewhere along the road, I put my hope in an expectation that wasn’t in line with God’s will. In those times God graciously showed me the error of my ways and leads me to put my hope in Him instead of the outcome of my situation.
The key to this process is learning (or reminding yourself) about God’s character. You can trust God’s leading when you trust His character. The Bible says He is a good Father who gives good gifts. He never sets out to trick or manipulate us (Matthew 7:9-11). He gave up His only son for our salvation. That’s not someone who doesn’t have your best interest at heart. There may be fear, hurt, or trauma that is hindering your faith in that area. The good news - God is greater than all of that. If you seek Him wholeheartedly, you will find Him (Jeremiah 29:13) and he will help you.
Don’t allow your hope to be rooted in your relationship status, diagnosis, worldly success, ability to bear children, financial status, or anything else that can be shaken. When you put your hope in something you can lose you put yourself at risk of being without hope (hopeless). But when you root your faith in the unchanging person of Jesus Christ and His atoning sacrifice, then whatever you gain or lose, achieve or never receive won’t make or break you. You’ll already be whole and you’ll know that even without those things God is truly enough. It may sound cliche but I’m speaking from experience. I know this to be true and I pray you’re able to know and believe it with every fiber of your being.
