Day 303 When Does Hope Start Working Again?

When Does Hope Start Working Again?

by Torrie Slaughter

Thursday, October 30, 2025
Reading Focus: Psalm 102

There’s a moment in every heartbreak when you wonder if hope still works — if it’s even safe to hope again. Psalm 102 steps into that silence like a whispered prayer from someone who’s been there.

“Hear my prayer, Lord; let my cry for help come to you.” (v. 1)
This psalm opens with honesty, not polish. The writer feels unseen, unheard, and undone. They describe days vanishing like smoke and strength fading like ashes. You can almost feel the weight of exhaustion in every line. Yet even in that pain, something sacred happens — the shift that begins with a single word: “But.”

“But you, Lord, sit enthroned forever.” (v. 12)
That word changes everything. “But” is the bridge between despair and faith. When we can’t fix the problem, we can still choose our focus. The psalmist moves from their weakness to God’s strength, from temporary suffering to eternal sovereignty. Hope begins working again the moment we remember that God’s throne has never moved.

The writer then lifts their eyes to the future: “You will arise and have compassion on Zion… it is time to show favor to her.” (v. 13) Even while hurting, they intercede for others — proof that hope is not just for survival, but for revival. When we start praying for restoration, even before we see it, heaven starts moving.

And finally, the psalm lands on an anchor of eternity:
“They will perish, but you remain… you are the same, and your years have no end.” (vv. 26-27)
Everything else may fade, but God does not. His consistency is our comfort. His permanence is our peace. Hope isn’t found in a quick fix; it’s found in His unchanging character.

So when does hope start working again?
When you decide to believe that even if nothing changes today, God hasn’t changed at all.

Action Step:
Speak one “but God” over your circumstance today. Let that declaration mark the moment your hope starts working again.

Reflection Verse:
“But you, Lord, sit enthroned forever; your renown endures through all generations.” — Psalm 102:12 (ESV)