Finding Hope in God: A Journey Through Life's Challenges

Some years feel like pages we’d rather not reread—but hope has a way of pulling our eyes forward.

With few exceptions, 2025 has been a chapter filled with pages that belong on the "delete" list. There have been days when I sat in my living room replaying a loop: Lord, will it get better? Was this really the plan!? Am I doing enough? You know those thoughts—the ones that sneak in when the house is quiet, just in time to lead you down forlorn roads. In those moments, I have to remember: Hope can be found, but it is found in God.

The Unique Challenges of Stepfamily Life

Stepfamily life has a unique way of exposing the gap between what we desire and what we can actually control. We step into stories already in motion, loving children who may not yet love us back. Navigating complex dynamics can be challenging while trying to keep our hearts soft and our faith steady.

"Just life" has a way of pressing hard against our hope. We enter seasons we weren't ready for, shoulder burdens we never planned for, and walk through relationships that challenge us deeply. Some days, hope feels like a luxury we aren’t sure we can afford.

But Scripture tells a different story—one where hope isn’t fragile. It’s foundational. It’s a living promise rooted in a faithful God. You and I are invited into the adventure of finding hope in God.

A Hope That Fills, Not Drains

There is a reason Romans 15:13 feels like a deep breath:

“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”

God doesn’t give hope the way the world does—not as a wish, a gamble, or a possibility. He gives it as an overflow, a filling, a work of the Holy Spirit. Hope is God’s active movement in our lives, not our attempt to imagine a better outcome.

We often try to manufacture peace by fixing situations or smoothing tensions. But joy and peace come as we trust in Him, not as we solve everything. Hope grows not because our circumstances change, but because our confidence in God does. It’s a gift that flows from trusting the One who holds all things together.

When You’re Tired of Trying Hard

Some days we soar. Some days we jog. Some days we walk.

Isaiah 40:31 has carried me through many seasons where my strength felt threadbare:

“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.”

We love the part about soaring—but some days we’re doing well just to put one faithful foot in front of the other. And God honors that. Even slow steps are holy steps.

Hoping in the Lord doesn’t always look like victory laps. It often means getting out of bed after another misunderstanding. Sometimes it looks like drying tears at the funeral of another loved one. Other times, it's choosing patience when frustration would be easier. It looks like showing up again, even when the relationship feels stalled.

God sees the walking as clearly as the soaring—and He promises you will not be faint.

Your Hope Has a Future

I know you have prayed prayers that sounded like this: “Lord, when will things feel… easier?” So have I.

That’s why Proverbs 23:18 speaks so tenderly to me:

“There is surely a future hope for you, and your hope will not be cut off.”

God has woven “future hope” into every chapter of your story because He is already present in your future. Hope is a guarantee rooted in the character of God.

Even when progress feels microscopic, even when love feels one-sided, and even when healing feels slow—your hope is secure.

The Hope That Steadies Our Hearts

Psalm 33:22 reminds us:

“May Your unfailing love rest upon us, Lord, as we put our hope in You.”

To put your hope in God is to rest your weight on His love. Not on your circumstances, not on the reactions of others, not on your spouse’s reassurance, and not on a perfect outcome. Hope is resting your full self—your worries, your love, your insecurities—on the steady shoulders of a faithful God.

Life is an orchestration of moments—many of which try to drain our hope. Misunderstandings, disappointments, seasons of emotional distance, endings, and even death can weigh heavily. But 1 Peter 1:3 lifts our eyes higher:

“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In His great mercy He has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.”

Your hope is alive because Jesus is alive. This means no situation is beyond His reach. No relationship is too strained for His touch. No story is too tangled for His redemption. We do nothing alone because His resurrection power is always at work in you and in me.

New Mercies for Every Step

One of my favorite promises—especially on the hardest days—is Lamentations 3:22–23:

“Because of the LORD’s great love we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness!”

There will be days you feel consumed—spent. Days when you question whether your efforts matter. Days when what you prayed for doesn’t happen, or what you feared shows up at your door. Yet, His mercies rise with the sun.

God's compassion meets you in the hallway, in the kitchen, in the carpool line, in the courtroom, at the funeral home, and in the counseling session. His faithfulness covers every place your strength feels thin.

You are never without a fresh new supply of mercy.

Looking Ahead With Holy Expectation

As we prepare our hearts for 2026, here is the truth I want to encourage you to carry:

You are not walking into an unknown year—you are walking into a year already held by a faithful God.

He has hope waiting for you in unexpected moments. He has strength reserved for the days you feel weak. He has mercy tucked into mornings you haven’t lived yet. He has joy planted in soil that once felt barren. He has redemption growing in places where you still see rubble.

Your story is not behind schedule. Your heart is not too tired. Your efforts are not wasted. Your hope is not cut off.

God is already standing in your tomorrow with everything you will need.

A Closing Challenge as We Step Into 2026

And as we move toward 2026, I want to challenge you:

Hope boldly. Hope intentionally. Hope because God is faithful.

Hope on purpose. Hope in prayer. Hope when you see progress, and hope when you don’t. Hope for your marriage, your children, your home, and for your own heart.

Let this be the year you refuse to measure hope by what you can see—and choose instead to anchor it in the God who never fails.

Because the God who carried you this far will carry you forward—with joy, with peace, and with a hope that overflows.