Has there ever been a time when it felt like no hope was left? Were you at a point in your life where it seemed like your dream had ended?
At some point in our lives, each of us comes to a place where we don’t know what to do next, how to respond, or even how to pray. The dream around which our life has revolved suddenly seems over. If you have ever found yourself in a situation where you were convinced your dream was over, you know how hard it is.
When we reach the point where we discover that we can’t resolve the issues we face, we stop trying to live out of our own strength and learn to trust in the wisdom and power of God.
The Apostle Paul came to understand this. In 2 Corinthians 1:9, Paul found himself in such a place: “Yes, we had the sentence of death in ourselves,” Paul wrote, “that we should not trust in ourselves but in God who raises the dead” (2 Corinthians 1:9).
Paul was undoubtedly in one of those places where there appeared to be no hope! The situation before him was so perilous that he referred to it as “the sentence of death!”
In a trial, a “sentence” is issued after all the evidence has been examined by the judge or jurors. By using this word, Paul indicated that, by all appearances, there seemed to be no way he and his friends would survive what they faced. As far as they were concerned, the court’s final verdict was in, and their sentence was death.
No matter that Paul’s life and ministry appeared over, he survived and fulfilled God’s calling. Instead of death, it was the start of a new supernatural release of God’s power in his life. Paul had been under such extreme stress that he was certain death was inevitable. Then, in the midst of what seemed like sure death, God spoke life. His supernatural power was released, and Paul and his companions were saved. Paul certainly learned not to trust in himself but in God, who “raises the dead.”
When you feel like you’ve hit rock bottom and all hope is gone, remember that you haven’t and it isn’t. If you surrender to God, “who raises the dead,” His resurrection power begins to work in and through you. When you have the Lord, there is, in fact, no such thing as having no hope. He is the God of hope. As long as you know you have a loving Abba Father to whom you can call for help, there is still hope for you and your situation right now. If you learn to trust God and rely on Him, your dream can find new life. Whatever you face can become a new beginning filled with God’s overflowing abundance.
“Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit” (Romans 15:13).
Deep within, strong and unshakeable, you can know that the God of hope will raise your dream from the dead.
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