HOW CAN I COPE WITH TRIALS?

A Victim of Trouble 

 “Hope in Jehovah; be courageous and let your heart be strong. Yes, hope in Jehovah.”—PSALM 27:14.

GENUINE hope is like a bright light. It helps us to see beyond present trials and to face the future with courage and joy. Only Jehovah can give us a sure hope, which he does by means of his inspired Word. (2 Timothy 3:16) In fact, the words “hope,” “hoped,” and “hoping” appear over 160 times in the Bible and refer both to the eager and sure expectation of something good and to the object of that expectation. Such hope is superior to a mere wish, which may have no foundation or prospect of fulfillment.

 When faced with trials and hardships, Jesus looked beyond the present and hoped in Jehovah. “For the joy that was set before him he endured a torture stake, despising shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” (Hebrews 12:2) Because he was keenly focused on the prospect of vindicating Jehovah’s sovereignty and sanctifying His name, Jesus never deviated from his course of obedience to God, no matter what it cost him.

King David points to the connection between hope and courage, saying: “Hope in Jehovah; be courageous and let your heart be strong. Yes, hope in Jehovah.” (Psalm 27:14) If we want our heart to be strong, we must never let our hope become vague but always keep it clearly in mind and close at heart. Doing so will help us to imitate Jesus in manifesting courage and zeal as we share in the work he commissioned his disciples to do. (Matthew 24:14; 28:19, 20) Indeed, hope is placed alongside faith and love as a vital, enduring quality that characterizes the life of servants of God.—1 Corinthians 13:13.

Therefore, hope is not just incidental to faith; it is an essential element of faith. Consider Abraham. From a human standpoint, he and his wife, Sarah, were past childbearing age when Jehovah promised them an heir. (Genesis 17:15-17) How did Abraham respond? “Although beyond hope, yet based on hope he had faith, that he might become the father of many nations.” (Romans 4:18) Yes, Abraham’s God-given hope gave his faith that he would have offspring a firm foundation. His faith, in turn, brightened and strengthened his hope. Why, Abraham and Sarah even had the courage to leave their home and their relatives and live the rest of their lives in tents in a foreign land!

Hope in Jehovah

The Scriptures repeatedly show that those who hope and trust in Jehovah never lose out. (Proverbs 3:5, 6; Jeremiah 17:7) True, at times they may have to be content with less, but they consider this a small sacrifice compared with the blessings in store for them. They thus demonstrate that they “hope in Jehovah” and are confident that he will eventually grant his loyal ones all the righteous desires of their heart. (Psalm 37:4, 34) Hence, they are truly happy even now. “The expectation of the righteous ones is a rejoicing, but the very hope of the wicked ones will perish.”—Proverbs 10:28.

When a little boy walks hand in hand with his father, he feels safe and secure. The same is true of us as we walk with our heavenly Father. “Do not be afraid,” said Jehovah to Israel, “for I am with you. . . . I will really help you. . . . For I, Jehovah your God, am grasping your right hand, the One saying to you, ‘Do not be afraid. I myself will help you.’”—Isaiah 41:10, 13.