For today’s devotional we are going to be looking at two Biblical examples of people who didn’t give up on God when their current situation looked like a permanent situation.
But before we start we are going to look at the word hopeless and its 2 definitions. In worldly dictionary terms it means a feeling state of despair and lack of hope. However in spiritual terms I would define it as ‘the lack of faith in God due to unexpected and confusing circumstances. The lack of faith in God and the lack understanding of how God operates can lead to hopelessness.
Sometimes we become so self centred in our situation it starts to cloud our mind, thoughts and eventually, it blind us. We begin to focus on the opposite idea that God has forsaken us and had completely abandoned us when that’s not the case. In Romans 8:28 it says “all things work out for those who love the lord”. The two biblical examples we will study today will demonstrate how that scripture is made manifest.
The first person we see is Joseph. Joseph from young was destined for greatness like a lot of us. But with greatness comes tests and trials.
We are God’s clay and he moulds us to who we need to become, however a potter cannot create a beautiful masterpiece without working on the clay. He must need the clay, roll it, and heat it. It must be put under pressure before it can reach the final product. That is how God was like with Joseph, times were tough but Joseph didn’t loose hope in God. Joseph was thrown in prison for something he didn’t do (Genesis 39:19-23). Still he endured because God was with him even in a traumatic experience like prison Joseph was still able to find favour where he was.
(Genesis 40) The time had come for God to revive and restore Joseph and he did so. The dreams and plans the God presented before Joseph had now come true. All in Gods timing.
Our second biblical example is Hannah (1Samuel :1). Hannah was a woman who was barren for years and was desperate for a son to call her own. For years she’s been expecting and asking yet God shut her womb. Does this mean God doesn’t love Hannah? Or has God just forgotten about her pain?
No God did not forget Hannah. Hannah pressed on in prayer and cried out to God, she isolated herself and encountered God finally in her wilderness. Lo and behold God answered her prayer. Understanding how God works is important, he doesn’t work according to human time but according to his own. Hannah promised God that Samuel would serve God forever if she was made fertile. Samuel grew up in the temple with Eli learning from him in order to replace his sons. It all ended in Samuel being Israel’s first prophet. What if God had answered Hannah’s pray earlier, Samuel may have not been who he was meant to be and be used for Gods glory.
So as we see it’s important to be patient with God, and trust he will never forsake us. So let your faith arise. Let us be all sensitive to Gods voice by reading our bible and praying everyday
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