The Case for Hope and Healing in Jesus Christ
Guest post by Terry Lambertson
There I was. Late summer of 2002. My life again on the brink of losing everything. It had happened twice before behind my divorce, and in the aftermath of the MLK earthquake in California. But this time was different.
I was working as a patient advocate in a locked mental institution, when one of my patients had a psychotic episode and attacked me. After almost a year of medical and psychological doctoring, they declared I was ready to go back to work. In front of me there was an opportunity that I had been waiting for over 30 years. A chance to finally leave California and make a new life for me and my teenaged daughter.
Friends had made the leap to Pennsylvania several years before, and they had offered us housing until I could save money to move into our own place. It was so exciting!
I settled my daughter in a private Christian school and got a job as a paralegal in a law office. I did really well initially and got us the cutest little apartment in a 4-plex in the country. As the weeks passed, it became evident that I was nowhere near well enough to work, let alone under the pressures and demands in front of me. I was let go during my probationary period. It was devastating. I had two choices. Go home in utter disgrace and prove what so many of my family thought of me to begin with, or to find God, in a way that I never had at any other time in my life.
No matter what your trauma has been ( in my life, and in the life of the women I coach) complex family dysfunction, addiction, domestic violence or mental health struggles, no matter if you are at ground zero, spiritually, mentally, physically and emotionally, God has a plan!
Life can be overwhelming, and it’s easy to feel like you have hit rock bottom. The weight of our struggles, pain and uncertainty, can make us wonder if there is any hope left. But as Christians, we know that even in our darkest moments, God has a plan, and there is always reason to hope.
The Bible is full of stories about people who hit rock bottom, only to experience God’s redemption and restoration. David wrote about being in the depths of despair, yet he always found a way to praise God (Psalm 130:1-2). Joseph, sold into slavery by his brothers, declared, “Don’t you see, you planned evil against me but God used those same plans for my good” (Genesis 50:20).
These stories, your story, remind us that God is a God of second chances, restoration and redemption. When we are at our lowest, He is always working, always planning, and always working for our good.
When we are struggling, it’s easy to question God’s plan. We wonder why He allows pain, and why He doesn’t intervene, and why He seems so distant. The Bible tells us that God’s ways are higher than ours (Isaiah 55:8-9). He sees the bigger picture, and His plans are always for our ultimate good, even when we can’t see it. Especially when we can’t see it.
Romans 8:26 tells us He does our praying in and for us, making prayer out of our wordless sighs, our aching groans. He knows us far better than we know ourselves, knows our pregnant condition, and keeps us present before God. That’s why we can be so sure that every detail in our lives of love for God is worked into something good.
Notice this verse does not say that everything that happens is good, but that GOD works ALL things, even the painful ones, for our good.
Hope is the anchor that holds us steady in the storm. When we’re at rock bottom, hope tells us that this isn’t the end; there’s more to come. I’m fond of saying “If it ain’t good, it ain’t over!” Hope reminds us that God is with us, that He’s working all things for our good, and that He has a plan to redeem us. He is the God of redemption, not the God of ruin.
Hebrews 6:18-20 says we who have run for our very lives to God have every reason to grab the promised hope with both hands and never let go. It’s an unbreakable spiritual lifeline, reaching past all appearances right to the very presence of God where Jesus, running ahead of us has taken up His permanent post as high priest for us.
This hope isn’t based on our circumstances or feelings; it’s based on God’s character (something that can’t be changed) His promises and His faithfulness.
So, how do we find hope when we are at rock bottom? Here are some practical steps:
Pray -Talk to God about your struggles, your pain, and your fears. He listens, and He’s always ready to respond.
Read Scripture- The Bible is full of promises and stories of redemption. Let God’s Word speak to your heart and remind you of His plan.
Surround yourself with believers- Community is so important! Without my “girl squad” of like-minded Christian women, I would not be writing this today. Having other believers who will support you, pray for you and remind you of God’s hope is priceless!
Focus on God’s character- remember who God is-loving, kind and sovereign. His character doesn’t change, even when our circumstances do.
When we’re at rock bottom, it’s easy to lose hope. Look at it as a firm foundation! The walls of Jericho were re-built from the rubble! God’s plan is always bigger than our struggles, and His hope is always greater than our pain. Let’s cling to hope, pray without ceasing and trust in God’s sovereign plan. He will redeem, restore, and bring us out of the darkness into His marvelous light. The comeback is always bigger than the setback!
As Priscilla Shirer often says, “God is always working behind the scenes, even when we can’t see him.”1 Let’s trust in His plan, let’s hold onto hope, and let’s remember that even in the darkest moments, God has a plan, and there is always reason to hope.
1Paraphrased from her teaching on God’s unseen work
Terry Lambertson is a Christ-centered speaker, author, and coach specializing in grief, addiction, domestic violence, and complex family situations. She runs a women’s ministry on Facebook and loves to encourage women, helping them get past their trauma so they can turn their pain into a path that leads to living their purpose. Facebook: Jesus Loves Hippie Chicks & @mclambslady
