In the 1997 movie Conspiracy Theory, brilliant but evil Dr. Jonas tells the main character, “You shouldn’t watch, Jerry. This is a moment without hope.”

Can I be honest? If I spend too much time on Fox, CNN, Facebook, and Twitter, a little Dr. Jonas in my head whispers the same words to me. Except he doesn’t call me Jerry. But you get the picture. (BTW, our staff pastor John wrote a great article this month about dealing with division. If social media is bumming you out, it’s worth a read.)

How about you—do you just want to avert your eyes so you don’t have to watch this slow motion train wreck? Or are you feeling hopeful? If so, what are you hoping in? A political leader…a movement for justice…that things will settle down in time? It’s easy to go there, but we’re bound to be disappointed if we put our hope in these things. 

The message of the Bible is that our hope is in God alone—not in scientific advances, governments, NGOs, or our own efforts or abilities. This is a simple but profound truth. It’s one we teach to rural churches in our Truth Centered Transformation program. 

I remember sitting in the back during one lesson for church leaders in Asia. The trainer had all of us close one eye and put our thumbs very close to the other eye. He said, “What do you see?” Nothing but our thumbs, of course, with a blurry bit of the room around the edges. Then he had us keep our thumbs up, but shift our eyes to look at him up front. “Now what do you see?” (Try it. Come on.) Then he said, “If we focus on our problems, that’s all we’ll see and they will look huge. But if we keep our eyes on God, our problems don’t go away, but they won’t look so insurmountable.”

Friends, I won’t sugar coat it. The problems are real and they’re exhausting. But the answer is not complex—not easy, but not complex. We need to hope in God. We need to reflect again and again on the goodness and the power of God. There’s nothing too big or hard for Him. We need to hold fast to this hope, not only for ourselves, but for those who are most vulnerable. 

Let’s look again at these familiar verses and offer them as prayers of hope for our society, our world, ourselves, and especially for those who are vulnerable or suffering:

Psalm 146:5-7: “Blessed are those whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the Lord their God. He is the maker of heaven and earth, the sea, and everything in them—He remains faithful forever. He upholds the cause of the oppressed and gives food to the hungry.”

Maker of Heaven and Earth, You are faithful forever. Please uphold the cause of those who are suffering injustice and oppression. Help them to hope in You. Please provide food for those who are hungry today.

Psalm 33:18-19: “But the eyes of the Lord are on those who fear Him, on those whose hope is in His unfailing love, to deliver them from death and keep them alive in famine.”

Lord, you see us and love us. So many people are desperate because of lockdowns and lost income. Please keep them alive as they hope in You.

Isaiah 40:31: “but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.”

Lord, everything happening in the world right now—it’s exhausting. Please renew the strength and hope of those who are working toward justice. Renew the strength of healthcare workers and first responders, and fill them with hope. 

Jeremiah 29:11: “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

Lord, please help those who put their hope in you to prosper. Cause their harvest to be abundant and their plans to succeed. Please multiply their efforts and give them hope for the future.

Keep holding onto hope, friends. And please check out our Monthly Prayer Mailing for specific ways to pray for vulnerable people to be transformed as they hope in God.