“So I say to my soul, “Don’t be discouraged. Don’t be disturbed. For I know my God will break through for me.” Then I’ll have plenty of reasons to praise Him all over again. Yes, living before His face is my saving grace!” Psalm 42:11 (TPT)

The theme song for 2020 has been mixed with lyrics of disappointment, frustration and heartache. Many felt as though their faith in God had failed them. Even now with 2021 approaching, some are skeptical about hoping for better in the coming year. The frustration and apprehension are understandable; however, I want to encourage us to believe again; let hope arise again. Dust off our vision boards; pull out those prophetic words that we put on a shelf; wake up our dreams and visions; and stir ourselves to faith. We cannot afford to allow what has happened in the past dictate our future. In order for us to recover and move forward, we must begin to believe again.

This is not to say we stopped being Believers; however, at some point, with all that has been going on in the world and in our personal lives, we stopped expecting our promises and dreams to be fulfilled. We lost hope. Hope is defined as, “A feeling of expectation and desire for a certain thing to happen.” The Bible states, “Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but when the desire comes, it is a tree of life.” Proverbs 13:12. The Passion translation (TPT) reads, “When hope’s dream seems to drag on and on, the delay can be depressing. But when at last your dream comes true, life’s sweetness will satisfy your soul.” These scriptures let us know that the Lord is very much aware of our disappointments and He understands our weariness. Yet, He instructs us to not give up – not faint. “And He spoke a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint.” Luke 18:1. The Amplified version (AMP) states, “Now Jesus was telling the disciples a parable to make the point that at all times they ought to pray and not give up and lose heart.” Another scripture says, “And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.” Galatians 6:9.

So, how do we begin to recover and move forward? We first have to remember who our God is. He is sovereign (Genesis 15:8, NIV); He is all powerful (Joshua 4:24, NIV); He knows all (1 John 3:20, NIV); He sees all (Proverbs 15:3); He is just (Isaiah 45:21); and He loves us (Jeremiah 31:3). He also is not a liar – “He who is the Glory of Israel does not lie or change His mind; for He is not a human being, that He should change His mind.” 1 Samuel 15:29 (NIV). He is a man of His Word and He keeps His promises; “For all the promises of God in Him are yes, and in Him Amen.” 2 Corinthians 1:20.

Next, we must take our frustrations, our disappointments and our weariness to the Lord. The old hymn says, “Now let us have a little talk with Jesus. Let us tell Him all about our troubles. He will hear our faintest cry and He will answer by and by.” David said in Psalm 61:2, “From the end of the earth will I cry unto thee, when my heart is overwhelmed: lead me to the Rock that is higher than I.” In Psalm 62:8, he said, “Trust in Him at all times, you people; pour out your hearts to Him, for God is our refuge.” David knew where to go and what to do when he was exhausted and troubled: “And David was greatly distressed; for the people spoke of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and for his daughters: but David encouraged himself in the Lord his God.” 1 Samuel 30:6. Jesus also told us, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” Matthew 11:28 (NIV). Another scripture says, “Casting all your cares [all your anxieties, all your worries, and all your concerns, once and for all] on Him, for He cares about you [with deepest affection, and watches over you very carefully].” 1 Peter 5:7 (AMP).

When pouring our hearts out to the Lord, we remind Him of His promises to us; and we remind Him of the dreams He put in our hearts. We remind Him what He said concerning His Word: “So shall my Word be that goes forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.” Isaiah 55:11; “Heaven and earth shall pass away, but My Words shall not pass away.” Matthew 24:35. We then begin to confess and believe His promises to us. We believe Proverbs 13:12(b) (TPT), But when at last your dream comes true, life’s sweetness will satisfy your soul;” we confess and believe Galatians 6:9 (b), “For in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.” We believe 1 Samuel 15:29, God has not changed His mind about us and He has not forgotten about us. We confess Isaiah 55:11, that what He has said, He will accomplish. We allow His Word to dwell in our hearts until hope rises and we believe again!