As a pastor, I've seen many people struggle with hopelessness, and I've experienced it myself. When everything feels hopeless, it's easy to want to give up on hope altogether. But, as the passage reminds us, hopelessness is lethal. It's a decision to no longer hold onto hope, and it can lead to despair. I've seen people who have lost their jobs, their health, or their loved ones, and they've struggled to find hope again.
However, the Bible tells us that there are realities present now that can sustain our hopes. We can pray for eyes to see the good things that God is doing in our lives, even in the midst of suffering. We can remember and meditate on God's story, and practice hope by asking for it and seeking it out. As Psalm 27:4 says, "One thing I ask from the Lord, this only do I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to seek him in his temple." This is a powerful reminder that our hope is not in the things of this world, but in the Lord Himself.
As a Christian, I believe that hope is not just a feeling, but a choice. We can choose to hold onto hope, even when everything feels hopeless. We can choose to trust in God's goodness and sovereignty, even when we don't understand what's happening. And we can choose to practice hope by seeking out the things that bring us joy and peace, even in the midst of suffering. As the passage says, "If you want to be freed of all disappointments in the future, you have to be unaffected now." This means that we need to learn to be detached from the things of this world, so that we can be free to hope in God, no matter what happens.