Dear Friends,
“Hopelessness” is defined as a state of mind and emotion characterized by a profound sense of despair, doubt, and a lack of belief or expectation that positive outcomes or improvements can occur.
Hopelessness has a sister and her name is “pessimism,” that negative outlook on the future where individuals anticipate the worst possible outcomes and expect that things will not improve.
We continue this Sunday with our study in Hebrews 11 called, “Extraordinary Hope.” Hebrews was written to a group of Jewish believers in the first century. The letter addresses a specific historical and spiritual context in which these Hebrew believers were facing challenges and temptations that could potentially lead them to lose hope in Jesus. While the exact historical circumstances are not explicitly detailed in the letter, scholars have proposed several potential challenges and temptations that these Hebrew believers were confronting:
- Persecution and Social Pressure
- Doubt and Uncertainty
- Eroding Faith
- Crisis of Confidence
- Spiritual Drift
Does that sound a bit like our society? We will focus our thoughts on Sarah from Heb. 11:11-12. She had lost hope of having a child and she was at the point of total despair – that pervasive feeling of sadness, hopelessness, and emotional distress that can be overwhelming!
Maybe you have lost hope, whether it be in your relationships, job situation, economic chaos, or due to our global crisis! My title is, “Keep Hope Alive.” Invite someone who is at the end of their rope or a neighbor who is drifting without any compass in life.
Because He lives,
Glen