Bible Blog

As an anxious kid, I hated watching action movies. As those films reached their climax, the protagonist faced obstacle after obstacle—each one seemingly more and more impossible to handle. Even though I knew they would make it out alive in the end, I couldn’t shake the feeling while watching: This is all just too much.

I find myself feeling the same thing today. We’re already dealing with a global pandemic and unprecedented unemployment. We’re already contending with the horror of George Floyd’s death and feeling the weight of a nation in crisis. We’re tired, angry, and many of us are still isolated from people we love.

Hope When It’s Too Much to Handle

If you’re feeling like all this is too much to handle, you are not alone. It’s so hard to feel all these feelings—especially when we don’t know where to put those feelings. I find myself praying and not even knowing what to pray. I find myself not knowing how to explain what I’m experiencing, which is rare for someone who communicates for a living.

Are you similarly paralyzed—overwhelmed and yet emotionally drained at the same time? Would you take some time with me to try and bring those feelings to God? Even though we might not know what to say, God hears us. He understands our grief. He will sit with us, even if we are simply silent.

Let’s take some time right now to read Scripture to ourselves. As you read through these verses, try to read through them more than once. Take time on each word, letting the balm of God’s Word soak in. Take deep breaths. Notice how the words of God’s truth fill you with something new—perhaps even a glimmer of hope.

Psalm 33:18 (GNTD)

The Lord watches over those who obey him,
    those who trust in his constant love.

Romans 8:24-25 (GNTD)

And this hope is what saves us. But if we already have what we hope for, there is no need to keep on hoping. However, we hope for something we have not yet seen, and we patiently wait for it.

Psalm 9:18-19 (GNTD)

The needy will not always be neglected;
    the hope of the poor will not be crushed forever.
Come, Lord! Do not let anyone defy you!
    Bring the heathen before you
    and pronounce judgment on them.

Job 11:17-18 (GNTD)

Your life will be brighter than sunshine at noon,
    and life's darkest hours will shine like the dawn.
You will live secure and full of hope;
   God will protect you and give you rest.

Romans 15:13 (GNTD)

May God, the source of hope, fill you with all joy and peace by means of your faith in him, so that your hope will continue to grow by the power of the Holy Spirit.