Introduction: When all hope is lost, it is a bad feeling.

1. Solomon wrote the following: (Prov 13:12)

“12 Hope deferred maketh the heart sick: but when the desire cometh, it is a tree of life.”

The word “deferred” means delayed or drawn out. Have you ever felt hopeless because of a situation that was drawn out? What do you do?

2. Paul felt hopeless! (Acts 27:15-20)

“And when the ship was caught, and could not bear up into the wind, we let her drive. 16 And running under a certain island which is called Clauda, we had much work to come by the boat: 17 Which when they had taken up, they used helps, undergirding the ship; and, fearing lest they should fall into the quicksands, strake sail, and so were driven. And we being exceedingly tossed with a tempest, the next day they lightened the ship; 19 And the third day we cast out with our own hands the tackling of the ship. 20 And when neither sun nor stars in many days appeared, and no small tempest lay on us, all hope that we should be saved was then taken away.”

What seemed hopeless became helpful because our Lord is in charge of the storms. Are you going through a storm? What do you do?

3. Hold on to your confidence in the Lord! (Heb 10:35,36)

“Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompence of reward. 36 For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise.”

Have you let go of your confidence in our Lord?