“Hopelessness sucks you dry of any peace or victory in your life.
It can be almost suffocating, stealing the Word
from your heart and blanketing you with heaviness.”
(Guideposts)
Do you ever feel this way? It’s an awful feeling when it seems the life is sucked right out of us. We try to grab and hold onto the promises, but they slip from our grasp. Losing all hope in the mercy of God.
Even when we don’t always feel it, God keeps His promises. Sometimes we have to wait a looong time, but never so long as some of the people in the Old Testament had to wait. After God’s last promise of His Son coming, there were 2,000 years of silence. Can you imagine? They must have felt so hopeless at times. The Savior had not yet come. They had to cling to God’s promises that He would come.
It’s impossible for God to lie. When He gives a promise, it is more than 100% certain He will keep it. We know today the promise of a Savior was kept. Jesus has come. He has paid the price. He has given hope and still gives hope to hopeless souls.
“We who have run for our very lives to God
have every reason to grab the promised hope
with both hands and never let go.
It’s an unbreakable spiritual lifeline,
reaching past all appearances right to
the very presence of God where Jesus,
running on ahead of us,
has taken up His permanent post as High Priest for us,
in the order of Melchizedek.”
Hebrews 6:18-20 The Message
When the storm waves jerk the ships of our souls back and forth, up and down, the rope to the anchor of hope won’t break, because it is made of the unbreakable love of a faithful God.
We may sometimes feel like hope is forever gone from our hearts, and it would be if it were up to us. But even when we cannot see it, Jesus is the unbreakable Lifeline that leads us to salvation, safety, and solace.
We have this hope, this strong and trustworthy anchor, that reaches into the very certainty of the Presence of God. Yes, He’s waiting for us to flee to Him for refuge with all the broken pieces of our lives.
“We see our failures and our lack of faith,
but God sees what we will become
as His Spirit faithfully works through
the broken pieces of our lives.
God’s timing always perfectly matches His plans,
even if sometimes it runs roughshod over ours.”
Sheila Walsh
“Hope in Front of Me”
by Danny Gokey
“There’s hope in front of me
There’s a light, I still see it
There’s a hand still holding me
Even when I don’t believe it
I might be down but I’m not dead
There’s better days still up ahead
Even after all I’ve seen
There’s hope in front of me…”
Some of this is from a 2014 post that I feel nudged to share this week. Many of you did not know about this blog yet at that time, so it will probably be new to you. 🙂
Sometimes we seem to think that the best thing we can offer others is advice, counsel, opinions, our experiences, and learnings.
But for sure, freely holding out hope with wide open hands is our best offering. And you do that oh so well here, friend …
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Thank you for always encouraging me, Linda. I truly appreciate it. It truly is my heart’s desire to hold out HOPE here. May we daily find our hope in Jesus who will never abandon us, no matter what!
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Jesus is our unbreakable lifeline and our everlasting hope, Trudy. What truth you have written here! Thank you, my friend, for this inspiration today.
Blessings!
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I’m so grateful you found this inspiring, Martha. Blessings to you, too! May we cling to the unbreakable Lifeline of everlasting hope!
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Such good words today! You chose the perfect words from Hebrews to illustrate your lesson. The Message version especially spoke to me. There is such hope in knowing God is our anchor and He never lets go. Blessings on your week!
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Thank you, Mary. Blessings on your week as well! Yes, there is such hope in knowing God is our anchor and never lets go. The Message version really speaks to me, too. May we cling to the unbreakable Lifeline of hope!
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I love that scripture about hope being the anchor for our souls. Thank you for encouraging me today, friend! It’s rather bleak outside my window today. In the 20’s with spits of moisture in the air. No butterflies in my garden. But your beautiful blog reminds me that they will return – there is hope for spring. Blessings, dear one.
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I’m so grateful you are encouraged there is hope for spring, June. Yes, those butterflies will return. I long for them, too, both in your beautiful photos and in reality this summer. We will keep hoping together! What part of Texas are you from? It surely has been colder this year both your way and in the SE. My husband has a brother who moved to San Antonio not so long ago, and we heard they’re having winter storm warnings there! May we cling to our Hope-Anchor and Promise-Keeper!
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We’re about 25 miles north of San Antonio in the Hill Country. Sounds to me like you should make plans to visit your brother-in-law 🙂
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And you, right? That would be nice to meet you in person, June. However, I don’t foresee it happening. Chronic illness has kind of limited our travel and vacations. 😦 I’m learning to accept it. It’s a good thing I’m an introvert and a homebody, or it would be even harder to accept. 🙂 I hope your health condition is under control. Blessings to you!
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Yes, sorry. I was teasing you a bit. I was just using your brother-in-law as an excuse to get you closer 🙂 We’ll meet one day, friend, of that I’m sure. Blessings.
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No need to apologize, June. I would love to get you closer, too! That’s a beautiful thought that we will meet one day, if not here, in glory hereafter! Blessings to you, too!
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I love that picture of hope being an anchor, that even when we can’t see hope and the storm seems fierce, God’s love still holds us, and the hope we have in certain. I’m glad you shared this post today, and I liked the song too. Love and hugs!
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Yes, it’s a beautiful picture, isn’t it, Lesley? Fierce storms around us, but God’s love holding us fast. Such hope in that! May we daily remember He is an unbreakable Lifeline of hope and love!
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Dear Trudy,
Oh, what a confirmation from the Lord! Not only do these words fit so well with my post about my praying Grandma, who persevered in her hope for her son’s salvation, but a dear friend just gave me that same verse in Hebrews! She even created a nail art wall hanging of an anchor to go with it. Thank you so much for re-sharing this post (I was one who had not read it before) just when I needed to hear it. God is so good. Much Love and Hugs to you dear friend! Xoxo
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This warms my heart, Bettie. Yes, God is so good. I’m so glad I answered the nudge to repost this. 🙂 So it’s confirming to me, too. How nice of your friend to gift you with this verse on a wall hanging. Your post about your praying Grandma gave me such hope that God answers prayers we have prayed for years even after we’re long gone from this earth. Much love and hugs to you, too! May we persevere in hope and prayer, knowing God is still good!
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So much comfort in this beautiful post, dear Trudy. Thank you! How often I have needed Christ to powerfully anchor me through the stormy gales! Thank you for reminding me that our anchor holds; He never fails. ❤
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I’m so grateful you found comfort here, Lynn. Sometimes we can feel so tossed by the waves that it feels like the anchor doesn’t hold, doesn’t it? But like you, I have learned Christ holds us fast and will get us safely through every storm. May we cling to and trust His unfailing love for us!
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Amen, dear Trudy! Hugs!
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Hugs back to you, dear Lynn! I thank God He brought you here, and I am getting to “know” you through our blogs. 🙂
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❤ ❤
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“He’s waiting for us to flee to Him for refuge with all the broken pieces of our lives.” Love this Trudy – such beautiful truth!
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I’m so grateful this truth encouraged you, Michelle. You well know how those broken pieces of our lives can pull us away from fleeing to Him for refuge. It’s a lifelong healing process, but I thank God that He has brought you such a long way. He’s even using you now to speak out for victims and to give hope to other women who have been sexually abused as children. May we daily bring our broken pieces to our God who can get us through anything and may He heal us ever deeper!
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Trudy, what a powerful, beautiful post. Hope. My One Word for the year. You’ve got me thinking.
And I loved what you said here: “When the storm waves jerk the ships of our souls back and forth, up and down, the rope to the anchor of hope won’t break, because it is made of the unbreakable love of a faithful God.”
I’m so thankful that holding onto hope isn’t entirely up to me. God’s love is the rope that keeps me tethered to Him, even when all around me seems dark.
Sending you love and hugs, friend!
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I am looking forward to what God will show you about “hope” this year, Jeanne. I am so thankful, too, that holding onto hope isn’t entirely us to us. This truth you share is so encouraging – “God’s love is the rope that keeps me tethered to Him, even when all around me seems dark.” Thank you! Love and hugs to you, too! May we daily remember God’s love for us will never, ever break or leave us!
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Wonderful message on hope here, Trudy! It really is a gift to have the hope of Christ to keep us anchored no matter the waves. And He has made us to be a beacon, a light of hope to others as hope is meant to be spilled over to multiply! You are doing that here, again!
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Thank you for your kind words, Lynn. Yes, hope in Christ is such a gift! I love what you write – that He has made us to be a light of hope to others “as hope is meant to be spilled over to multiply!” May He daily give us grace to be beacons of His hope and lights of His faithful love to others!
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Hi Trudy,
This post is new to me and I love the words of hope! Especially on these darker, shorter days, a dose of hope and a reminder of who God is and his promises (that we can anchor our souls on) is just what I need. Even when circumstances look bleak in our lives, we can turn our eyes upward and find the strength we need — just as God promises! Love this! xoxo
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I’m so grateful God gave you this needed reminder of who He is as a Promise-Keeper we can anchor our souls on, Valerie. I constantly need to remind myself, too. xoxo to you, too! May we (as you write) turn our eyes upward to the One who always keeps His promises and find the strength we need, even when circumstances look bleak in our lives!
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Amen to every word, Trudy! And I love that quote by Sheila Walsh … so true! Hugs, friend. 🙂
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I love that quote, too, Lois. Isn’t it amazing how God sees us through His love and grace instead of through our failures? May we hang onto our unbreakable Lifeline and trust His plans are always best, however difficult our lives may be!
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Beautiful, hope affirming words here, Trudy! You always remind us of the Hope we have in Christ and I never fail to come away feeling uplifted after reading your posts. The opening weeks of January have been less than encouraging, which means I truly appreciate the biblical reminders, song lyrics and grace I have found here today! May your days be filled with holy Hope and Joy, dear friend! xox ❤
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I’m so grateful your spirit is uplifted here, Joy. I’m so sorry these weeks have been tough. It can be especially hard to hang onto hope in those times, can’t it? I pray God will fill you, too, with Hope and Joy! xoxo to you, too! May we desperately cling to our Unbreakable Lifeline of Hope!
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I have a loved one going through a season of grief right now, and I hear hopelessness in her words this week. But I know it will turn. God won’t let her stay in that space of hopelessness long; he will bring a light to give her hope again in his promises. Thanks for this encouragement for my own faith in her life.
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I’m so sorry about your loved one, Lisa. I pray God will help her to grieve and soon give her His hope and strength to hang on! And for you, too. A person can feel so helpless when a loved one suffers. We suffer right along with them, don’t we? May we cling to our unbreakable Lifeline of Hope!
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Hi Trudy! Love this- Thank you so much for speak the truth my heart so needs to hear- And doing so with such beauty and grace! Thankful for you! sending hugs and love
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I’m so grateful God sent you the Truth you needed to hear, Susie. We need the reminder daily, don’t we? Sending you hugs and love back! May we lean into His safety and strength!
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Hi Trudy! I have often been in that sea that you describe, tossing me back and forth. I think that this must be what a dark night of the soul is all about. So into my emotions that I can’t seem to hang on to the Lord. It’s awful.
Learning how to walk away from those dark places and get to the light is the way to learn peace, don’t you think? Jesus is always there, I just get lost in the mist. If I can remember that these negative things are not from God, I’ll feel better a lot faster.
I think you might have reprinted this post for me. I really relate to it. Thank you so much.
Ceil
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I’m so sorry you have to experience those dark nights of the soul, Ceil. It’s so easy to get lost in the mist, isn’t it? I have to keep sorting things out, too – Would God really say this to me, or is Satan trying to discourage me? Tears pool in my eyes that God used this for you. It reaffirms to me that I always need to answer God’s nudge in my heart. God is so good to us, isn’t He? Always giving us more than we ask or think. May we together cling to the Unbreakable Lifeline of Hope, trusting Jesus is still with us even in those dark times!
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Faith is the substance of things hope for and the evidence of things not seen,For without faith we can’t please God..I pray that you hold on to your faith..,we are the change that the world needs now..Peace and Blessings to you.
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Hi. I found your site but not your name, but I take comfort in knowing God knows you. I’m so sorry for your lost, and I pray God will give you strength. Thank you for your encouragement to hold onto my faith. Peace and Blessings to you, too! May we point others to that immovable Hope in Christ Jesus!
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