God offers hope when you feel hopeless

Hope seems to be hard to come by these days. Whether it is because of news that we hear about around the world, or sometimes even in our own home, it can be hard to have hope. Will things ever get better? Will this situation ever change? Questions come up in our mind that we may have never had because our hope is lacking and hopelessness is overtaking all of our thoughts and emotions.
However, maybe it is not hope that is hard to come by, but rather the way we have perceived hope. What I mean by this is that we have this picture of hope that is a pretty, clean-cut paradise on the beach. We see having hope almost as this magic 8 ball that will make all our wishes come true. So when disappointment does come, because we all know it will, hope seems like a pointless thing rather than an anchor for our soul (Heb 6:19). Hope is something that we should not throw away, as the author of Hebrews states.
So what should hope look like for a believer in Jesus? Does it mean everything will go our way? Does it mean when we put our hope in Jesus we will have no worries?
No. What it looks like is less of hoping things go our way and more of an attitude of believing who God is despite what is happening around us. It is believing what God has said about us despite how we may feel. It is having the courage to look at our current situation with a bigger view. Why? Because when we set our hope on who God is, what he has done, and what he has revealed in His word, our perspective can and will change. When we remember that God is the everlasting God, the King of all kings, that he is returning one day and will make all things new, our actions and mindset will be changed. We will stop acting like orphans who are not being looked after by a good father. We will start acting like children who are dearly loved and have an ever-present father to help them, lead them, and love them no matter what the situation is.
So if you find yourself hopeless today, and wondering, how do I step into hope, let me encourage you with a couple of things.
First, do not be afraid to bring your hopelessness and frustration to God. Do not keep it to yourself. Let Him know, and process it with him. He wants to help you.
Second, see hope as less of something that will get you to have everything go right in life and more as courage to believe that there is more going on than what you see. There is a king on His throne named Jesus that is not thrown off by what is going on in the world or your life. And He is a rock, a fortress, a constant, no matter what your situation.
I pray that truth will bring you hope today and help you continue to hold fast to Him as your hope in a world that is shifting and shaking.