Posted on: 26th June 2025

‘Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life.’ (Proverbs 13:12)

Do you feel you are in a battle right now to hold onto hope?

Hope in the Lord is not in vain. However, in the midst of disappointment and what might feel like delay, hope is not an easy thing to hold on to.

We must be kind to ourselves and tend to our sick hearts where hope has been deferred. A sick heart is not something you can just shake off, but we must sit in the disappointment with God and let Him bring healing to us.

However, we must hold onto hope in this time for the sake of those around us who are looking for something to hope in. Hope is one of the things that distinguishes the church in the midst of a hopeless world. No matter what is going on around us, we always have something to hope in, or rather, someone.

What is hope? It is a familiar word, but it can be a bit of an abstract concept. Here are a few words and verses to help scaffold the meaning. In the Bible, it often refers to confident expectation (e.g. Proverbs 23:18). It often refers to tenacious faith (e.g. Romans 4:18). It often refers to active waiting (e.g. Psalm 27:14).

Hope at this time is your grounding and security. It is your ‘anchor for the soul, firm and secure.’ (Hebrews 6:19) This hope is not just for you, but there will be people around you who are looking for some kind of anchor in a turbulent world. The answer is hope in Jesus, and through the hope that you have, people will be able to latch onto this anchor as well.

However, hope is also your vehicle to move. It is also the thing that pulls you higher. ‘Those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength; They will soar (Hebrew meaning: they will rise; they will ascend; they will go up) on wings like eagles.’ (Isaiah 40:31)

Every day that you choose to hope in the Lord, you are going higher and higher and being pulled out of stuckness and disappointment. Hope causes movement and makes you stronger. When you hope in the Lord, you gain spiritual ground. 

Hope is essential right now. So many times in the Psalms, David commands himself to hope in the Lord! (e.g. Psalm 42:5) Let’s do the same! Don’t get complacent, but each day, remind yourself that no matter what you might see or hear around you, you choose to hope in the Lord.

By Mary Swain, Dayspring Church, author of the 40 Days Devotionals series.