Jon Walker says: ‘I’ve struggled with my weight most of my life. I’ve dropped weight and put it back on. I’ve tried every diet and made up some of my own. I maintained a friendly battle with weight till I became extremely ill, and for a year I was unable to walk beyond the mailbox. Needless to say, I gained more weight than ever and found myself facing a huge challenge. I needed to lose more pounds than there are days in a month. With age nipping at my heels…it wasn’t as easy to drop the pounds as it used to be, and I found myself feeling hopeless – the kind of hopelessness that makes you think, “What’s the use? I might as well not even try.”

'No doubt you can relate, not necessarily to the weight issue, but to the hopelessness. Maybe you’re in a stressful marriage…or facing health issues that have you thinking “What’s the use?” Or in a frustrating job…or facing a difficult family situation…or wondering if you’ll ever get good enough grades to graduate…or dealing with the death of the most important person in your life…or struggling through so many failed attempts to have a child.

'Here’s the truth: we serve a God of hope, and it’s a hope that won’t “disappoint [us]”. It’s not based on feelings; it’s rooted in a relationship with the One who can be trusted above all others. We wait together for this unseen hope, knowing the God of hope will not abandon or “disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit”.’