When It's Hard to Cling to Hope - iBelieve Truth: A Devotional for Women - July 23, 2025
"You are my refuge and my shield; your word is my source of hope." Psalms 119:114 (NLT)
Four years ago, my dreams as an author were shattered. I'd spent over a year writing my story, crafting my one sheet, preparing my book proposal, and gearing up for my first-ever writing conference. Though it was virtual, nerves radiated through my body. But in a minute, my hopes were crushed.
Somehow, by a glitch in the Zoom call, the agent couldn't see me sitting in the waiting room. Not only did she think I'd skipped the pitch appointment altogether, but it made me look unprofessional from the get-go. After rescheduling our meeting for later that day, I was mortified when she told me this book wouldn't work in the market. Her feedback was harsh, but she was right; no one would buy a memoir from little old me.
And so, defeated and broken, I wept. I didn't write for months and thought maybe I'd heard God wrong. If He called me to write, it definitely didn't feel like it.
In a way that only God could, He led me in a new direction. I was given direction, re-direction, and inspiration. Three years later, I would quit my teaching job in faith that I was now ready to publish. I would also go on to pitch to that same agent, be offered a contract on the spot, and sign with her.
Looking back, it’s been a year since I signed with that agent. I’ve experienced joy and much sorrow. Seventeen rejections later, I’m still waiting for the right publisher. My hope has wavered, but I haven’t lost it. I still need to continue to grow. To be more established. To keep serving. And so I will. I know my time will come, in accordance with the Lord’s. And though I grow weary, I won’t lose hope in doing good.
As Proverbs 13:12 confirms: "Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life" (NIV). When hope is delayed, it can make us feel physically and mentally ill—I know it did for me. I felt like I would never sign an agent or make it in the publishing world. Even now, working to find a publisher threatens to steal my hope. I grow weary and tired of doing good. And yet I cling to the second half of this verse: When the Lord says the time is right, that longing fulfilled will give birth to a tree of life. Not just any tree, but a tree that produces even more fruit than I could ask, think, predict, or imagine.
Isaiah 60:22 says it this way: "The smallest family will become a large family group. The smallest tribe will become a powerful nation. When the time is right, I, the Lord, will come quickly. I will make these things happen" (ERV). And why does that bring me hope? Because when something is the Lord's will, He will make it happen in His timing. The longing is often painful. The waiting causes us to doubt and question more than we'd like to admit. But God withholds no good thing from us unless it's good for us to wait (Psalm 84:11).
If you're struggling to hold onto hope, friend, please know you're not alone. I see you, and I've been there, but more importantly, God sees you and cares. When it’s hard to cling to hope, hold on even tighter. Don’t let go. He’s never going to let go of you.
Let's pray:
Dear Jesus, clinging to hope when things are swell is easy. We know you’re good and your will shall prevail. But when we encounter difficulties, please remind us that you’re still faithful and true. Help us to not lose hope no matter what comes our way, but to look to you and the eternal hope you bring. We praise, thank, and love you, Lord. Amen.
Agape, Amber
Photo Credit: ©Unsplash/Janko Ferlic
Related Resource: Instead of Doing More This Summer, Maybe You Need to Do Less
If you've been feeling tired, overwhelmed, depleted, or just quietly wondering where God is in the middle of a very full life — this episode is for you. And honestly? It might be for me too, because I'm recording this in one of those seasons myself.
Today we're doing something a little different. Instead of going deep in a passage, we're talking about what to do when deep feels like too much — when you need less, not more. Specifically, I'm walking you through one of my favorite practices for weary seasons: handwriting scripture.
Not typing it. Not scrolling past it. Actually writing it out, slowly, in your own hand — because something happens in your brain when you do that. The words land differently. They go deeper. And over time, they become part of that personal library of God's voice that the Holy Spirit can pull from when you need it most. That's what Psalm 119:11 means when it says I have hidden your word in my heart — it's scripture moving into your long-term memory, where it lives and stays even when you haven't opened your Bible in weeks.
I'm sharing the five verses I wrote out for myself today — and why each one hit me fresh even though I've known some of them for years. This episode is part of our How to Study the Bible Podcast, a show that brings life back to reading the Bible and helps you understand even the hardest parts of Scripture. If this episode helps you know and love God more, be sure to follow the How to Study the Bible Podcast on Apple or Spotify so you never miss an episode!
