No, this is eternal and deeply personal hope. It rests in the truth that Jesus has wrapped his powerful arms around you and he will never, ever let you go.

Because God is my Sovereign, my life is never out of control, and because he is my Savior, he blesses me with everything I need to live in the middle of things that are beyond my control. He is a sovereign Savior, which means I don't need to fear, because he is with me and he provides everything I need for the places where his plan leads me. He rules, and he graces me with everything I need to live inside his rule with peace, hope, and courage. Why, then, should I fear?

God will call you to do what you cannot do, but will provide everything you need to do it.

The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? PSALM 27:1

Your Lord pries open your hands and takes away your crutches and distractions. He exposes your weaknesses so that you will cry out for what he knows you need, but what you have been willing to live without.

You can take your life off your shoulders because God has placed it on his.

if you're God's child, your life is never, ever out of control.

I have talked with many pastors whose real struggle isn't first with the hardship of ministry, the lack of appreciation and involvement of people, or difficulties with fellow leaders. No, the real struggle they are having, one that is very hard for a pastor to admit, is with God. What has caused ministry to become hard and burdensome is disappointment and anger with God.

God's often-repeated declaration that he will not leave sits on the pages of his Word as a protection against the lies to which suffering makes us susceptible.

When you feel unprepared, alone, overburdened, and besieged, what but God is able to give you reason to hope again, to believe again, and to live again?

Our motivation to stand firm in faith, even when we are going through things that we don't understand, is found in one thing: God's declaration of his intention toward us.

Don't be discouraged at the spiritual war you're called to fight every day. The Lord almighty is with you and wars on your behalf.