How does one find peace and hope in the midst of desperate circumstances?
"Peace I leave with you; my peace I give. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid" (John 14:27).
"For he himself is our peace" (Ephesians 2:14).
"And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 4:7).
If you have placed your faith in Jesus Christ, He has said that He will be your peace. Even when things seem to be falling apart and there seems to be no hope, Jesus can make a way when there seems to be no way (Luke 1:37).
If the Lord does not bring you out of your circumstance for whatever reason, you may assume you are supposed to learn from the situation; become more dependent on Him or realize that He is protecting you from something greater by letting you suffer now. We cannot second-guess God and His reasons for some things we cannot understand with our finite minds. Your eternal promise is the greatest hope you can ask for, an eternity with Him because of Christ's blood-sacrifice on the cross. Keeping your eyes on the final prize of an eternity with Christ will help to make your present circumstances seem trivial.
"Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance" (James 1:2).
If you have never placed your hope and trust in Jesus Christ, then your circumstances must seem overwhelming. Without the blessed hope of eternal life in heaven with Jesus, it is very tough to survive the tribulations of this world. But the good news is that life with Jesus and the promise of heaven is offered to you, too. You don't have to navigate through life's problems alone for one more moment.
"For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God: (Romans 3:23).
"If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness" (1 John 1:9).
You can pray a prayer of salvation like this one:
Heavenly Father, I know that I am a sinner and need your forgiveness. Please forgive me and save me. I repent of my sins and want to live my life to please you. Thank you for sending your only Son to die on the cross for me. I believe he rose on the third day and He lives with you now in heaven. I thank you for the promise that you will never leave me. And I thank you for the promise of heaven. I pray this in Jesus' name. Amen.
Now you need to begin to walk with Jesus daily. You do this by reading the Bible and praying. God will to reveal Himself to you and show you the ways He is working in your life each day.
