Ready for a little weekend inspiration? I know I am. All people,especially ministry folk, are over-taken by desperate feelings and hopelessness from time time. We hope life will get better. We hope things will change. We hope our families will come back together We hope our kids will return to the Lord. We hope our ministries will grow. We hope we get a raise. On and one this darn thing called hope keeps cropping up and it usually shows up during difficult times. David went through a desperate time as seen in Psalm 3 In Psalm 3, David wrote: Lord, how are they increased that trouble me! many are they that rise up against me. Many there be which say of my soul, There is no help for him in God. Selah. But thou, O LORD, art a shield for me; my glory, and the lifter up of mine head.Psalm 3:1-3 K.J.V. Moses had to stay hopeful against all hope when Egyptian armies chased after him and the Red Sea was the only way of escape. Daniel had to stay hopeful against all hope that he would not get eaten by a lion. These guys made hoping look easy, but we know it could not have been easy all the time. We are only human. It’s not whether we experience discouragement or hopelessness, it’s not a sin to experience these things; it’s whether we remain in that sate of hopelessness that determines our outcome. There is zero guarantee that life will work out the way we thought it should go. In fact, I am pretty sure my life will not turn out the way I thought it should but my hope is not in my life plan, but in God’s plan. Matt Chandler has a funny take on life not working out like we thought it would and I agree. Have you been hoping against all hope lately? What keeps you going? Is life not working out the way you thought? How so?