Help . . . I’ve Lost My Hope.
“There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse, and a branch from his roots shall bear fruit. And the Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the LORD.”
Isaiah 11:1-2 ESV
We’ve all walked through seasons of hopelessness—those dark nights when the world feels heavy, and it’s hard to see any good in the midst of it. In those moments, we often search for hope in relationships, knowledge, guilty pleasures, or even sinful temptations. But no matter where we look, we come up empty. And the question lingers: “What do I do when I’ve lost all hope?”
The answer, my friend, is JESUS.
When hope feels lost, you turn to Him—the Hope of the world.
I don’t know about you, but I’ve been in a season of mourning. Life has its valleys, and we all go through them. For me, this season has stretched on for far longer than I would have ever chosen. But here’s the thing: I’m not God. He sees what I can’t. He knows what’s best, even when I don’t understand.
In these dark nights of the soul—these “night seasons”—there’s only one thing that never changes: Jesus. He is steadfast. He is faithful. And He is the Hope of all the world.
I encourage you to hold onto Him if you’re in a night season right now. He will not fail you.
STUDY the Word.
At the end of chapter 10, Isaiah paints a sobering picture of Israel’s destruction—a vast forest cut down with an axe because of their arrogance. Yet, as Isaiah so often does, he follows this judgment with a message of hope in the next chapter.
In Isaiah 11:1-2, the Messianic prophecy continues. From the fallen trees of humanity, life will spring forth. A small bud, seemingly insignificant, remains—waiting to break through the soil of fallen humanity.
Out of the family of Jesse, a greater David will come. Our Savior. Jesus.
APPLY the Word.
This new King will be filled with and empowered by the Spirit of the Lord. The Spirit of wisdom and understanding rests on Him, enabling Him to make perfect decisions as a Mighty Ruler. And yet, how often do we seek counsel from everyone and everything else before turning to Him?
The Spirit of counsel and strength is in His hands. He is our Wonderful Counselor. The Hebrew word for “counselor,” êtsâh, means advice, counsel, and purpose. Think about that—our purpose is found in Him. So why do we so often wander through life, questioning our purpose or life’s plan, instead of going to Him? What could happen if we sought His counsel to discover our purpose and then relied on His strength to carry it out?
The Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord is also His. Jesus, this offshoot of Jesse, the greater David, has an intimate relationship with His Father—one marked by reverence, loyalty, and dependence. This is the essence of the fear of the Lord.
Do we share this kind of relationship with Him?
LIVE the Word.
Remember that this prophecy of Isaiah is full of Hope.
We have the hope of Jesus. He is here.
He is with us, yet so many of us, as His children, do not cling to all that He is and all that He has done.
Let’s change that, huh? Let’s live in His counsel and strength, wisdom and understanding, knowledge, and fear of the Lord.
