Steadfast Hope in Seasons of Suffering
“We have this hope as a sure and
steadfast anchor of the soul.”
Hebrews 6:19 (ESV)
I once heard author Elisabeth Elliot speak at our church in the mid-1990s. I don’t actually remember much of what she said that weekend, but her definition of suffering has been invaluable to me over the last thirty years. Elliot defined suffering as “having what you don’t want or wanting what you don’t have.” Elliot’s suffering definition covers a lot of territory.
The reality of living in a broken world is that all of us will at some point face suffering and loss, but God’s people must not be worrying while we suffer. God cares about HOW we suffer. And He doesn’t want his children “churning and burning” or “stewing and brewing” which are pretty accurate descriptions of how I usually suffer!
J.I. Packer once wrote that biblical hope is “a faith that looks forward.” I believe that faith not only looks forward; it also leans forward. Biblical hope is a confident expectation that takes God at His Word and is just the opposite of wishful thinking. As Christians, we should be the most hopeful people in the world because we have a living hope (1 Peter 1:3) and the:
Hope of God’s Word (Romans 15:4)
Hope of our salvation (Romans 8:4)
Hope of the gospel (Colossians 1:23)
Hope of the resurrection (Acts 23:6)
Hope of Christ in us, the hope of glory. (Colossians 1:27)
So, how can we suffer hopefully, joyfully, & patiently?
Here are four very practical strategies that can help us cultivate steadfast hope in seasons of suffering and loss:
Face your fears – Ask yourself, “What am I really afraid of?” Is it the fear of missing out, the fear of not enough, the loss of someone or something? Is it the fear of suffering, fear of failure, or fear of being totally out of my comfort zone? Who or what am I fearing? Identify whatever your fear is, acknowledge it, and lay it before the Lord. The only fear that the Bible endorses is the fear of the Lord. (Proverbs 1:7) We can choose faith, or we can choose fear, but we can’t choose them both at the same time.
Feed your soul – We do this as we:
Read God’s Word – The book of Psalms can be a great comfort in seasons of suffering. Read Psalm 6, 13 and others. You’ll see that Psalmists don’t hesitate to ask the question that all of us eventually ask in long seasons of suffering, illness, or loss: “How long?” (Psalm 13:1-2). But keep reading and you’ll also find that the Psalmists move from questioning God to trusting God (Psalm 13:5).
Pray – Whatever you are experiencing, pray it through. Be honest with God and honest with yourself. God can handle our questions, doubts, and fears. He already knows them anyhow. Tim Keller writes, “God always answers prayer the way we would if we knew all that He knows.”
Remember God’s faithfulness – Look back and remember the many ways that God has proved himself in the past. All of us should have memorial stones and stories of God’s faithfulness, protection, provision, and deliverance. Look back to remember, but don’t dwell there.
Fix your focus – Look up! Don’t look around at your circumstances, but keep your eyes up on God Himself. Focus on his character, attributes, faithfulness, goodness, sovereignty, and glory.
Finally, hold onto hope- Hebrews 3:6 says, “Hold on to courage and the hope of which we boast.” We can hold on to hope because God is holding onto us. Biblical hope is both an anchor and a lifeline. In Christ, we have a steadfast hope and a Savior who suffers with us. (Hebrews 10:13) We need steadfast hearts that fear the Lord and nothing else. Steadfast hope is steel to our souls.
Psalm 112:7 was my 2022 prayer verse as we began last year.
“Blessed is the man who fears the Lord;
he will have no fear of bad news.
His heart is steadfast trusting in the Lord.” Ps 112:7 (NIV)
The Psalmist’s words were the first to come to my mind and heart when we received the news of James Bruce’s death on February 12. Those words also formed the prayer I prayed two weeks ago on December 21 when I was diagnosed with breast cancer. My surgery is scheduled for next Tuesday, January 10. Bruce and I are grateful that a routine mammogram caught this at a very early stage.
Please pray that our hearts will remain steadfast, trusting in the Lord as we face this season of suffering.