Friend, do you wonder how to discover hope when the seeds of promises are unfulfilled? Perhaps you waited many months and years for a specific promise to be fulfilled and now you are weary and discouraged. You doubt God’s Word and His promises and you question His faithfulness.
What can we do to keep our hope when we don’t see God’s promises yet fulfilled in our life?
What Has God Promised?
Before we discuss several steps, we can take to discover hope, let’s clarify what God has promised.
God’s will is reflected in His promises and the Bible has more than 7700 promises. Some of them are specific promises God made to one person or one nation. Even so, the Bible has many promises that apply broadly to all those who follow Him.
Besides that, you may have some personal promises God has made specifically to you through the Holy Spirit.
If, however, you haven’t received such specific, personal promises, it is much wiser and safer to count on God’s promises that have broader application and can be applied in every situation.
The Difference between Desires and Promises
I have had many struggles in my life with what I thought are unfulfilled personal promises. For example, my husband and I wanted children and struggled with infertility issues for years. I thought God has promised me children, but later on, I realized He never made such a personal promise. God didn’t promise me to give me children, but He promised me I would lack nothing (Psalm 23:1) and that He is all-sufficient.
I had a similar struggle when I lost my husband unexpectedly two years ago. I prayed for healing and salvation and that God would spare his life. However, God didn’t promise me He would keep Thomas alive, but He promised to save him. (He did so by taking my husband into His presence and restoring his health completely). He didn’t promise that I would always have a family and a husband. But He promised to meet all my needs according to His reaches in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:19)
Discovering Hope When the Seeds of Promises are Unfulfilled
The way to discover hope when the seeds of promises are unfulfilled is by choosing to put our trust again in God’s character and His word.
What does it mean to put out trust in God’s character and His word?
- It means we put our trust in His faithfulness.
- We also put our trust in His unchanging nature.
- We put our trust in His love for us.
Putting Our Trust in God’s Faithfulness
The first and most important step when we want to restore hope is to put our trust in God’s faithfulness. God is always faithful, and He is faithful to each one of us specifically in every moment of our lives during all our days, in all different circumstances.
His faithfulness also means that He is faithful to fulfill all His promises recorded in the Bible, as well as all personal promises made specifically to us.
Putting Our Trust in God’s Unchanging Nature
God’s unchanging nature is a powerful truth to restore our hope when we don’t see seeds of promises fulfilled. God’s unchanging nature means that His promises never change, even when our circumstances change. Then the best we can do is to re-anchor in the promises.
My changed circumstance will never alter the unchangeable promises of God. -Haddasah Treu #Godspromises #trustGod Share on XMy changed circumstance will never alter the unchangeable promises of God. If God has promised it, nothing in all creation can prevent Him from fulfilling it.
It is not whether God will keep His promises, but when He will fulfill them and how it will look.
Putting Our Trust in God’s Love for Us
The last truth that can help us restore our hope is God’s unchangeable and unconditional love for each one of us. His love compels Him always to do what is best for us in every situation and for eternity.
God knows when and how to fulfill His promises so He can achieve the highest good for us, not only temporarily here on earth, but also in eternity. We can always count on God’s love.
List of Bible Verses to Help You Discover Hope
You know with all your heart and soul that not one of all the good promises the Lord Your God gave you has failed. Every promise has been fulfilled; not one has failed. (Joshua 23:14)
Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for He who promised is faithful. (Hebrews 10:23)
God is not a man, so He does not lie. He is not human, so He does not change his mind. Has He ever spoken and failed to act? Has He ever promised and not carried it through? (Numbers 23:19)
Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope: Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness. (Jeremiah 3:21-23)
For no matter how many promises God has made, they are “Yes” in Christ. And so through Him the “Amen” is spoken by us to the glory of God. (1 Corinthians 1:20)
Prayer for Discovering Hope
Lord, I am discouraged because I don’t see the seeds of some of Your promises fulfilled in my life. Please, help me discover hope again. Help me put my trust in Your faithfulness, in Your unchangeable nature, and Your love. You know best how and when to fulfill Your promises in my life. I trust you. In Jesus’s name. Amen.
Bio
Hadassah Treu is an international Christian author, blogger, and speaker, the Encouraging Blogger Award Winner of 2020. She is passionate about encouraging people in the journey of faith and a deeper walk with God. Hadassah is a contributing author to several faith-based platforms and devotional and poetry anthologies. She has been featured on (In)courage, Living by Design Ministries, Thoughts About God, Today’s Christian Living (Turning Point), and other popular sites. You can connect with Hadassah on her blog https://onthewaybg.com.
Peace and grace,
Tammy
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