Three Ways to Find Hope in a Broken World (& prayer of lament & hope)

When the world gives us reason to despair, remembering the sovereignty of God can help us find hope and provide purpose for our days. 

When the world gives us reason to despair, remembering the sovereignty of God can renew our hope and provide purpose for our days. Click To Tweet

“News.” I cringe when I hear the word mentioned. It has almost become a bad word in my book.

On the news, I hear about violence, rioting, disrespect, and identity/gender confusion and agonize over what is happening with our world. In the news, I read about the numbers of unborn (and increasingly, just born) babies killed, many of them perfectly healthy, and recoil in horror. From the news, I hear falsehoods easily passed off as truth and truth belittled as intolerant.

The world seems to be falling apart. It’s all too much and too unreal. If I’m not careful, depression and hopelessness sets in. I need to find hope again. 

Remember God’s Sovereignty

So I limit how much and what type of news I consume, and I remind myself often about the Lord’s sovereignty. That’s what bolsters me. That’s what gives me purpose to get up each day. 

God isn’t wringing His hands and scratching His head about what to do next. No one and nothing can thwart His plans… ever. So although I lament, I don’t stay there. Because I trust the Lord. He is faithful. And He will come again to make it all right! 

The state of the world causes me to lament, but I don't stay there, because I trust the Lord. He is faithful. And He will come again to make it all right! #eventhen Click To Tweet

Prayer of Lament and Hope

O Lord, come soon!

This world is sad and ugly and difficult.

So much division and derision. So much selfishness and sordidness. So much hatred toward each other  and contempt for truth.

You see the viciousness. You are well aware of the strife and discord. You hear the cries of anguish and the sighs of confusion. But thankfully it won’t be forever! 

When You come, all will be made pure and lovely. All will be complete. All will be the brightest green and the most brilliant blue, the purest white and the softest brown. Everything will be just as it ought to be. 

When You come, worship will be full and unending. Our joy will be complete and ongoing. Nothing will shake our peace. Nothing will dampen our spirit.

Do come soon, Jesus!

But until then, we will serve to glorify Your name. Until then, we will strive to proclaim Your gift of salvation to all the world. Until then, we will endeavor to trust in You.

In Your almighty name, Amen.

Press Forward With Purpose

When life seems out of control and unpredictable, it’s easy to give into fear and despair. But the Lord is still on the throne! And until He comes again, He has a purpose for our continued presence and a reason for His delay in returning. 

When life seems out of control and unpredictable, it's easy to give into fear and despair. But the Lord is still on the throne! And He has a purpose for our continued presence and a reason for His delay in returning. Click To Tweet

“The Lord does not delay his promise, as some understand delay, but is patient with you, not wanting any to perish but all to come to repentance.” 2 Peter 3:9 

“Then he said to them, ‘Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.'” Mark 16:15

Find Hope

So we find hope as we trust in Him. 

We remind ourselves of God’s sovereignty and live each moment in faith. We pray, sharing our concerns and expressing our trust. We press forward to share the Gospel with “all creation.”

Reflections: Do you also cringe when you hear the word “news”? What is it about the sovereignty of God that comforts you? Or perhaps it doesn’t: if so, why not? 

By His grace ≈

Julie