Topic: Holding On to Hope When Life’s Not Fair – Daily Devotional by Proverbs 31 Ministries 23 February2024
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Holding On to Hope When Life’s Not Fair
FEBRUARY 23, 2024
“Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope: Because of the LORD’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail.” Lamentations 3:21-22 (NIV)
Have you ever felt like your soul was screaming in pain? Sure, on the outside, you look the same. You show up, dress up, and tell yourself to hurry up and move past this … but inside, you feel a deep chasm of grief that shouts, This is not fair!
For you, maybe it’s a broken heart you never expected or a season where it feels like the hard things never end. Maybe you’re longing for days gone by and wondering if life will ever be good again. As you lie in bed at night, you can’t help but wonder, God where are You in this?
For me, it was depression.
I didn’t want to cry, but I couldn’t stop.
I wanted to get better, but I didn’t know how.
I wanted to have more faith and pull myself out of it, but I felt helpless.
I was screaming inwardly because I didn’t want to be the burden that I felt I was to God and others. I wanted to be carefree and full of hope, but instead I was broken and unsure of how to move forward in faith.
As I turned to Scripture for encouragement, I came to Lamentations 3. The author poured out his own sorrow as he shared how he had seen affliction, bitterness and hardship. I found comfort in the fact that he was so honest about his pain. This whole book in the Bible is about lament, which means “a passionate expression of grief or sorrow.”
Yet right smack in the middle of his cries, he made this bold statement: “Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope: Because of the LORD’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail” (Lamentations 3:21-22).
These verses opened a crack of light into my darkness that day, and I felt my faith slowly stir up once again. I didn’t have to deny my suffering — in fact, it was good to acknowledge it. But even in the midst of depression, I could call truth to my mind.
I pray this encouragement from Lamentations stirs up your faith as well. Even when our souls scream for relief and we’re tempted to wonder if God has left us alone, we can know that His great compassion never has failed and never will fail us. Yes, our circumstances may be painful, but because of God’s great love, the pain will not consume us. We can both acknowledge our pain and remember God’s goodness.
When we choose to remember who God is, we find hope to hold on to.Oh, Lord, life feels unfair, and I ask You to change it. And until You do, help me to choose to focus on Your great love and faithfulness and stand on the truth that Your compassion never fails. Help me to remember this one day at a time. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
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