What to Do When My Hope Dies

In Romans 4:18 I read, “Abraham, when hope was dead within him, went on hoping in faith . . . He relied on the word of God.” (PHILLIPS)

How do I know when hope has died in my life? I’ll start using the word “never.” I’m never going to get married. I’m never going to graduate. I’m never going to get well. I’m never going to get out of debt. I’m never going to be able to let go of my past and forget all of that shame and heartache. I’m never going to be able to change. I’m never going to see this situation turn around. That’s when hope has died—when I have reached a dead end and don’t see a way out.

So what should I do? Romans 4:18 reminds me, “Abraham, when hope was dead within him, went on hoping in faith . . . He relied on the word of God” (PHILLIPS).

When I’m at a dead end—when it’s hard to hold on to hope—I need God’s Word, the Bible. Read it. Study it. Memorize it. Think about it. Write it down on little notecards and take them wherever I go. 

The Bible is full of promises, and nothing else can encourage me like it can. When I rely on the Word and trust in its promises, it will revive me emotionally. I won’t panic because you’ll be reminded that, even though something is out of my control, it’s not out of God’s control.

A dead end is a test of faith. The Bible says in Hebrews 11:17, “While God was testing him, Abraham still trusted in God and his promises, and so he offered up his son Isaac” (TLB). When God said he wanted Abraham to sacrifice his son, Abraham didn’t blink an eye. He didn’t panic—because he remembered what God could do. He relied on what God had promised him. 

Sometimes, like it did for Abraham, it looks like God wants me to give up my most precious dream. Will I be able to offer that to him in faith, trusting in God’s deliverance?

Things are never as bleak as they seem. If I see no way out, it’s because I’m looking from a human viewpoint, not God’s. 

Romans 4:20 says, “Abraham never doubted. He believed in God, for his faith and trust grew ever stronger, and he praised God for this blessing even before it happened” (TLB).

A promise is only as good as the character of the person who makes the promise. The Bible says God cannot lie because he is complete truth. If he makes a promise to me, he’s going to fulfill it. It will happen exactly as he has said. 

So when I’m at a dead end, trust in God’s truth.