If we all got vulnerable we would all admit that there are times in our lives that hopelessness begins to set in. Maybe for some of us it is more than we would like to admit and for others it may be just once in a while. No matter how often one experiences that hopelessness it is a very real thing. It brings discouragement and can lead to depression. It causes one to want to give up, “throw the towel in,” quit. I have been there. There can even be a lot of good things going on at the same time. It is like the sun is up but the dark black clouds are moving in. We all know how difficult it is to keep our focus on the sun when the clouds are moving in. And once the clouds are there the sun can’t be seen though it is still there. So, what does one do when in one of these moments? In Romans 4:18 it says, “Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many nations.” Abraham must have had at least one of these moments. God had promised Abraham so much: God would bless Abraham and Abraham would be a blessing to the nations; Abraham’s offspring would outnumber the stars in the sky. But Abraham was as good as dead he was so old and so was Sarah his wife. This was impossible. But the Bible tells us Abraham against all hope still hoped and believed. In verses 20 and 21 it says this: “Yet he (Abraham) did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised.” So here are a few things we can do when facing a moment of hopelessness:

1. Recognize the lies and speak the truth. Remember the promises of God over your life.
2. Move Forward – take steps of faith that move you forward toward the promises.
3. Worship God – Know who God is and His power to do what He says He will do and worship Him and give Him thanks.

One more thing that might bring a little encouragement. We don’t have to be perfect at this. Abraham messed up royally and even acted out of unbelief when he took Hagar and had Ishmael. He even lived with that unbelief for quite some time but finally repented and sent Hagar and Ismael (unbelief) away. The key is when the revelation comes that we are living out of unbelief we repent and move back to faith and belief.