Holding On to Hope
Notes
Transcript
Holding On to Hope
Holding On to Hope
Introduction:
"When I was younger, I remember losing someone dear to me. And in that moment, I felt crushed and broken.
You ever feel like that?
Today we begin a new series titled "Holding On to Hope"
I believe this series is timely because every one of us, at some point, will walk through seasons of loss and pain.
Whether it's the loss of a loved one, a shattered dream, or deep personal suffering, grief is something we all experience. It’s part of living in a broken world.
But today, as we open the Word of God and look at the story of Job, I want to encourage you with this truth: though we walk through suffering, we do not walk through it alone. God is near. He is not silent, and He has not abandoned you.
Main Points:
Main Point #1: Suffering is a Reality for Everyone
Then Job arose, and rent his mantle, and shaved his head, and fell down upon the ground, and worshipped,
And said, Naked came I out of my mother’s womb, And naked shall I return thither: The Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away; Blessed be the name of the Lord.
Let’s start by acknowledging an uncomfortable truth: suffering is a reality for everyone.
No one is exempt.
In fact, Jesus Himself said in John 16:33, “In this world, you will have trouble.” We often expect life to be easy, but Scripture doesn’t promise us that.
The story of Job is a clear example of this. Job was a righteous man, someone who feared God and turned away from evil.
Yet in a single day, Job lost everything—his wealth, his children, and eventually, even his health. Job, the man who did everything right, found himself sitting in ashes, mourning unimaginable loss.
Job 1:20-21 tells us, “Then Job arose, tore his robe, shaved his head, and fell on the ground and worshiped. And he said, ‘Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked shall I return. The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.’”
Then Job arose, and rent his mantle, and shaved his head, and fell down upon the ground, and worshipped,
And said, Naked came I out of my mother’s womb, And naked shall I return thither: The Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away; Blessed be the name of the Lord.
Job’s response to loss is raw and real. He grieved. He mourned. He tore his robe and shaved his head—symbols of deep sorrow.
But then, he did something that might surprise us: he worshiped.
Job didn’t deny his suffering. He didn’t pretend everything was fine. He wept. But in his grief, Job also recognized something profound:
God is still God, even in suffering.
God is still God, even in suffering.
Jesus wept.
"I want you to see something today: even Jesus grieved. He wasn't afraid to show His emotions. He stood at the tomb of Lazarus, knowing He was about to raise him from the dead, but still, Jesus wept.
What does that tell us? It tells us that grief is not weakness.
Some of you might have grown up hearing things like, 'Just get over it' or 'Be strong, stop crying.'
The last one I heard one time and it just about broke me...
Well, let me free you from that.
God never said you couldn’t mourn.
Mourning is a sign of love
Mourning is a sign of love
You grieve because you’ve lost something important to you.
Jesus, our Savior, did not push His feelings aside. He grieved. And if He can grieve, so can you."
This Morning I want to let you know it is okay to grieve without guilt. I give you permission to grieve. It’s a natural, human response, and even Jesus Himself, the embodiment of God, expressed it.
Main Point #2: Where is God in Our Pain?
In moments of suffering, one of the hardest questions we face is, Where is God?
Why would He allow such pain?
Why would a loving God allow His children to walk through loss?
Nancy Guthrie, who wrote "Holding On to Hope," knows this question intimately. After losing two children to a rare genetic disorder, she asked God that very question. She shares that while she didn’t receive a specific answer to the “why,” what she did find was this: God was with her. In her book, Nancy writes:
“God’s presence with us in our pain does not remove the pain, but it transforms it.”
In the midst of our pain, we often want explanations. We think, “If I can just understand why this happened, I can handle it.”
But here’s the truth: even if we had all the answers, it wouldn’t necessarily make the pain go away.
The comfort we truly need comes not from answers, but from God’s presence.
The comfort we truly need comes not from answers, but from God’s presence.
In Job 38-42 , after Job had poured out his heart and asked God “Why?” repeatedly, God responded. But He didn’t explain Himself.
Instead, God reminded Job of who He is—His power, His wisdom, and His sovereignty over all creation. Job realized that though he didn’t understand everything, he could still trust God.
And that’s what I want you to hear today: even when we don’t understand, we can still trust Him.
I want to encourage you this morning to stop asking 'Why?' and start asking
Who is with me in this?
And the answer is: God is with us, sitting with us in our grief, offering comfort only He can give.
Main Point #3: God is Near the Brokenhearted
The Bible tells us in Psalm 34:18
The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.
This is one of the most comforting truths in all of Scripture.
When you are brokenhearted, God draws near.
He doesn’t stand at a distance, waiting for you to get your act together. He is close. He sits with you in your pain.
Nancy Guthrie speaks powerfully to this in her own journey of grief. She reflects on how, in her darkest moments, she sensed God’s nearness more than ever. She learned that God does not abandon us in our suffering. He comes close.
He is the God of all comfort, as 2 Corinthians 1:3
Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort;
Job, too, experienced this. Though he did not receive the answers he wanted, he encountered the presence of God in a powerful way. And in that encounter, Job found peace, even in his suffering.
Some of you feel abandoned in your grief. Maybe you've been left by people who couldn’t handle your pain.
But let me tell you something today—God never leaves your side. He knows every tear you cry. He knows every ache in your heart. And He’s not afraid of your grief.
In fact, He’s drawn to it. He’s close to the brokenhearted, so right now, in the middle of your sadness, He’s as close as He’s ever been."
I want you to know this one truth this morning.
There is healing in Grief
There is healing in Grief
Psalm 30:5 – “Weeping may stay for the night, but rejoicing comes in the morning.”
I want you to know that grief is not the end of the story.
Some of you here today, you’ve been carrying grief for a long time.
Maybe it's fresh, maybe it’s years old, but it still hurts.
Here’s what I want you to know: God sees your pain, He feels it, and He is close to you.
Right now, in this very moment, He’s reaching out to you. Will you let Him in?
Will you let Him carry that weight? You don’t have to walk through this alone.
Jesus is here, weeping with you, and He will walk you through to healing."
Conclusion:
I want to give you an opportunity today to bring your grief to God. Right where you are, you can give Him the pieces of your broken heart.
Whether you’ve lost a loved one, a dream, or something else dear to you, God is close to you in this moment. Let’s pray together and invite God’s healing presence into our grief.
Prayer
Father, we come to You broken, but trusting. We know that You are close to the brokenhearted. We ask that You wrap Your arms around every hurting person here today. Help us to grieve in Your presence, knowing that You are with us. Bring healing where there is pain, bring hope where there is despair, and restore joy in Your time. We trust You, in Jesus' name, Amen."
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