Trauma has a way of making us lose hope. The pain and devastation of the trauma will have us (has had me) doubt God’s power or if He could ever bring new life to something so broken. I know this is an awful thought process to have and an even worse place to be.

In my own life, there has been areas of trauma that lead to years of internal devastation and pain where I doubted God’s deliverance or better yet the doubt caused me not to take hold of my deliverance. I didn’t verbally say “God I don’t believe you could restore me,” but my actions in not releasing and confessing the trauma was me flat out telling God I couldn’t believe Him for something “I” thought was impossible to restore.

I had enough trust in God to help me “survive” daily. But not enough to bring “life” and restoration to the trauma area. I allowed the pain of the trauma to make me too tired where I could no longer see hope beyond the obvious.

Are you or do you know someone who might be in that place right now, unable to hope beyond the hurt in front of you? Or a feeling of being held captive by your own thoughts or trauma?

In the book of Ezekiel chapter 47, the prophet Ezekiel shares details of a powerful vision God wants conveyed to His exiled people. It’s a promise of restoration spoken to the hearts that might feel leery of letting hope in after spending many years in captivity.

In the midst of trauma, we often think will I ever be the same? The answer is no…you will be better! You will be better and stronger because of your hope and trust in God.

Just as Ezekiel conveyed God’s hope of restoration to the exiled people, He wants us to know today there is always hope with Him no matter how painful the trauma. What once looked and felt like you were falling apart that same thing will give you strength you wouldn’t believe. Oftentimes the thing we think will make us weak {even if it’s years of falsely believing we’re weak}, with God’s help will be the very thing that allows us to give strength to someone else.

I don’t know what’s going on in your life that you feel is too far gone for God to touch. I can’t promise you God will move in all the ways you’re longing for Him to move today. But no matter what your trauma/circumstance is or turns out, remember with God there is always hope, there is always redemption and God is always able to transform.
 
PEARLStoPONDER: Has fear or the pain of trauma caused you not to grab hold of God’s deliverance that is available right now? It might look scary, but grab hold to your hope in God and give Him thanks in spite of what you don’t see!

Psalm 33:18-- Behold, the eye of the Lord is on those who fear him, on those who hope in his steadfast love.

Psalm 71:14-- But I will hope continually and will praise you yet more and more.

Psalm 130:5-- I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in his word I hope;

Romans 8:24-25-- ²⁴ For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? ²⁵ But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.