How to Have Hope When Things Seem Hopeless

by Dr. MaryAnn Diorio

WINNING WITH THE WORD

“Winning with the Word” is a weekly blog that will help you to be a winner in life by applying God’s principles for living the abundant life as found in the Bible, God’s manual for life.

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Hello and Happy Day! This is Dr. MaryAnn Diorio, Novelist and Life Coach, welcoming you to another episode of Winning with the Word. Today is Monday, April 20, 2020. Today’s Podcast is Episode #16 in Series 2020 and is titled “How to Have Hope When Things Seem Hopeless.”

Lately, I’ve been deeply saddened by the rising number of suicides as a result of the Corona virus. I read of a young nurse in Italy who killed herself when she was diagnosed with the virus. Others are killing themselves as a result of the recent sharp dives in the stock market that have drastically cut their life savings.

What do all of these people have in common? They have all placed their hope in the wrong place.

You see, where we hang our hope will determine if our hope will carry us through bad situations. The people mentioned above hung their hope on things of this world–things that had no solid foundation. Things that will not last. 

Where are you hanging your hope? If on the things of this world–your IRA, your savings account, your job, your vitamins, your medication, your social distancing–all of these things are temporary and will not ultimately protect you. Only Jesus Christ can and will protect you.

There is only solid and secure place where we can hang our hope, and that is on Jesus Christ. In 1 Peter 3: 6 the Bible says this about hoping in Jesus: “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, He has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead….” Notice this verse calls Christ our “living” hope–a hope that is alive and will remain alive forever.

So, if you want to have hope when things seem hopeless, turn to Jesus Christ, the perfect Hope-Giver. If you have not yet asked Jesus to come into your life and be your hope, do so now. Please pray this simple prayer with me:

Lord Jesus, I have lost my hope. I am discouraged and depressed. Sometimes I want to give up. But You are offering me true hope. So I receive You now as my Savior and Lord. Fill me with Your hope, the hope that never ends. In Your Name I pray. Amen.

If you prayed this simple prayer, please write to me at drmaryann@maryanndiorio.com. I would like to send you a little booklet that will help you get started in your relationship with Jesus Christ. I also encourage you to get yourself a Bible and read it every single day, starting in the Gospel of John, which is in the second half of the Bible. The Bible is God’s love letter to you, His manual for your life. In it He reveals Who He is. In it He reveals His infinite love for you and instructs you how to live.

Finally, ask the Lord to lead you to the church of His choice for you where you can learn about Him and have fellowship and encouragement with other Christ-Followers.

For those of you who may not know, I write fiction about many of the issues I deal with in this blog and podcast. I also invite you to visit my website at https://maryanndiorio.com/book-table. There you will find a complete list of the novels, novellas, and short stories I have written about characters with problems like yours. One such story is my latest novel, In Black and White.

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On my website, you will also find many additional resources to help you grow in your walk with Christ.

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And to all of you wonderful listeners out there, thank you so much for listening. This is Dr. MaryAnn Diorio, novelist and life coach, reminding you that God loves you just as you are and just where you are, and that He will help you to keep on winning with the Word.

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Now it’s your turn: What do you do to endure in tough times? Please leave your comment in the Comment Box below. Thank you!

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Copyright 2000-2020 by Dr. MaryAnn Diorio. All Rights Reserved. This article may not be published or printed in any form whatsoever without the written permission of Dr. MaryAnn Diorio. You may contact her at info@maryanndiorio.com to request permission.

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ARE YOU ON THE VERGE OF GIVING UP?

by Dr. MaryAnn Diorio

“Guard your heart above all else, for it determines 
the course of your life.” ~ Proverbs 4:23

“Matters of the Heart” is a weekly blog that deals with the deepest issues of the human heart, the issues we all face but sometimes don’t want to talk about. The heart is the programming center of our lives. What is programmed into our heart will affect every area of our lives. Learn how to examine your heart and how to program your heart for success.

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Friends have been writing to me with the same recurring theme:  “No sooner do I get hit with one demonic attack than another one follows close on its heels. I get knocked down, barely get up, and am knocked down again!”

Does this sound like you? Are you growing weary with the fight and ready to give up?

If so, then read on.

Jesus warned us that trouble would increase as His return approaches. You see, Satan knows he doesn’t have much time left to do his dirty work, so he has grown vicious with anger and has intensified his efforts to destroy Christ-Followers (Revelation 12: 17). He has also loosed full-blown deception on the world-at-large to keep people from knowing truth and coming to a saving knowledge of Christ. 

So, don’t be discouraged. And whatever you do, DON’T QUIT!

Listen to what our LORD Himself said: “Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world” (John 16: 33 NLT).

One reason you may be feeling discouraged is that you are relying on your own strength to get you through. This is a big mistake. Our strength will never get us through anything. It is only the strength of Christ in us that will get us through.

When we rely on Christ’s strength within us, we enter a state of rest. Rest is that place where we let go and let God.

So, whatever you are facing today, let Jesus handle it for you. Give it over to Him and trust that He will get you through. Determine to keep running your race and to finish strong.

Finally, don’t give up; look up! Our Lord is coming soon to deliver us from this cesspool of corruption called the world. So, rejoice! Our deliverance is near!  Oh, so very near!

My Prayer for You Today: Lord Jesus, I ask that You would encourage my brother and sister today with the encouragement that only You can give. Help them to focus on You and to rest in You. In Your precious Name I pray. So be it!

Now, it’s YOUR turn: How do you encourage yourself in the Lord? Please share your insights in the Comments box below. Thank you!

TWEETABLE:  “ARE YOU ON THE VERGE OF GIVING UP?” by Dr. MaryAnn Diorio @DrMaryAnnDiorio (CLICK TO TWEET).

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If you found this post helpful, please forward it to a friend. Thank you! You may also be interested in reading the following popular posts:

“How to Stay Sane in an Insane World”

“Is Regret Stealing Your Joy?”

“How to Recognize a Controlling Spirit”

“Sex and Soul Ties”

Please check our archives in the right sidebar for older posts on a variety of topics. You may also search for a particular topic in the search box at the top right. 

For additional encouragement, check out my podcasts at the following links:

A Moment with MaryAnn – Podcasts on Living the Good Life

Winning with the Word Podcast Series

Write Your Heart Out! – Podcasts for Writers

Please tell your family and friends about this blog and my other resources, and please pass this post on to them. Thank you!

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Copyright 2018 by Dr. MaryAnn Diorio. All Rights Reserved. This article may not be published or printed in any form whatsoever without the written permission of Dr. MaryAnn Diorio. You may contact her at info@maryanndiorio.com to request permission.

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WHEN ALL HOPE SEEMS GONE

by Dr. MaryAnn Diorio, Your Virtual Life Coach

Guard your heart above all else,
for it determines the course of your life.” ~ Proverbs 4: 23
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Wherever I turn, I find people who feel hopeless. Be it a teenager whose parents just divorced or an elderly person without a family, people everywhere struggle with despair.

According to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, suicide is currently the tenth leading cause of death in the United States. On average, 121 people kill themselves every single day. That is 121 too many!

But suicide isn’t the only epidemic in the United States. Millions of people suffer from depression and depression-related disorders, like anxiety, panic attacks, obsessive-compulsive disorders, bipolar disorder, and phobias. This should not be. Yet it is.

But why is it?

I would posit that many of these problems stem from a loss of hope, and a loss of hope stems from the lack of a deep, personal relationship with God through Jesus Christ.

The Bible tells us in Hebrews 6: 19 that hope is “an anchor for the soul.” In other words, hope keeps us stable and positive in the midst of obstacles. Hope keeps us looking ahead toward a better tomorrow. Toward the day when Christ will return and usher us into the eternal realm where all suffering will cease.

But while we are here on this earth, God wants us not only to survive, but also to thrive. And in order to do so, we must have hope. But our hope must be in the right place.

The only right place for our hope is in Jesus Christ. To hope in anything outside of Christ is to hope in vain, for only Christ is the Solid Rock on which hope can stand.

Much of our disappointment in life comes from the fact that we have hoped in the wrong thing or the wrong person. Perhaps we have placed our hope in a spouse or a child only to be disappointed in that spouse or that child. Perhaps we have placed our hope in a job or a career, only to be disappointed in that job or that career. Perhaps we have placed our hope in a friend who has betrayed us or a parent who has let us down.

Whatever the case, when we place our hope in imperfect human beings or in imperfect human situations, our hope will falter. But when we place our hope in the Perfect God, our hope will never fail.

In Psalm 39: 7, King David asks this question: “And so, Lord, where do I put my hope?” David answers his own question when he says: “My only hope is in You.”

David knew that the only safe repository of his hope was God. The same is true for us. When we place our hope in God, we will never be disappointed.

Perhaps you are listening today and you are feeling hopeless. Perhaps your life has crumbled and you don’t know where to turn. Perhaps you have even contemplated suicide or have already made arrangements to kill yourself. If I am talking to you, then I urge you to give yourself another chance.

You see, Satan wants to destroy you because you have a great purpose in God’s plan, and Satan wants to keep you from fulfilling that purpose. If you were not important to God, Satan would have no need to get you to feel hopeless or to kill yourself. But you are a threat to Satan, so he wants to eliminate you—to take you out of the picture. He does this by stealing your hope.

Without hope, we see no reason to go on. So, if Satan can steal your hope, he can steal your life and your blessings.

God, on the other hand, wants to give you life not steal it from you. He wants to give you hope and peace and every good thing. But in order to receive the hope that God wants to give you, you must receive it from His hand. You must, in short, come to Him.

God is waiting for you to do that now.

Today, if you are feeling hopeless, I urge you to turn to Jesus Christ. He is waiting with open arms for you to turn to Him. He wants to be your Hope. If you have not yet accepted Jesus as your Savior and Lord, I invite you to do so now. Just pray this simple prayer after me:

Lord Jesus, I come to You just as I am. I admit that I am a sinner in need of Your mercy and grace. I acknowledge that You are the Son of God, that You died for me to pay the penalty for my sin, and that You rose from the dead. I receive You now as my Savior and Lord. Make of me all that You created me to be. Amen.

If you sincerely prayed this prayer, you are now a born-again child of God and follower of Jesus Christ. Place your hope in Him. I promise you that you will never be disappointed.

For more information to help you grow in your relationship with Jesus, I invite you to visit my website at maryanndiorio.com.

Now, it’s your turn! Do you ever feel hopeless? If so, what do you do to combat hopelessness?

Please share your insights in the box below. Thanks!

To listen to an audio version of this post, please click below. 

 

In my latest novel, RETURN TO BELLA TERRA, heroine Maria Landro Tonetta must learn to turn to God in the midst of her hopelessness.

A mother, her son, and the man who threatens to come between them . . . 

Available now on Amazon.

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If you found this post helpful, please forward it to a friend or relative. Thank you!

Please check our archives in the right sidebar for older posts on a variety of topics. You may also search for a particular topic in the search box at the top right.

Some of our most popular posts:

How to Handle Frustration

Horoscopes? Ouija Boards? Séances? Are They Really Harmless?

Are You Afraid of Confrontation?

Sex and Soul Ties

How to Recognize a Controlling Spirit


For additional encouragement, check out my podcasts at the following links:

A Moment with MaryAnn – Podcasts on Living the Good Life

Winning with the Word Podcast Series

Write Your Heart Out! – Podcasts for Writers


Please tell your family and friends about this blog and please pass this post on to them. Thank you!

______________________________________________________________

Copyright 2000-2017 by Dr. MaryAnn Diorio. All Rights Reserved. This article may not be published or printed in any form whatsoever without the written permission of Dr. MaryAnn Diorio. You may contact her at drmaryann@maryanndiorio.com to request permission.

Amazon.com Required Disclosure: MaryAnn Diorio is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.

Matters of the Heart is a weekly blog that deals with the deepest issues of the human heart, the issues we all face but sometimes don’t want to talk about. The heart is the programming center of our lives. What is programmed into our heart will affect every area of our lives. Learn how to discover what is in your heart and how to program your heart for success.

AN INVITATION TO YOU: To follow this blog via Facebook, click here. If you are not on Facebook or would prefer to subscribe via a different venue, please check the sidebar to the right for subscription options. Thank you!


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Copyright 2001-2017 by MaryAnn Diorio, PhD, MFA.  All Rights Reserved.