Hold Fast the Hope: Faint Not in the Day of Adversity

Beloved brethren, let us hearken diligently to the timeless exhortation breathed forth by the Spirit and echoed by the faithful throughout the generations: Lose not thy hope; forsake not thy confidence in the Lord. For as one of old did admonish in sacred song:

"Never give up to thy sorrow, Jesus will bid them depart; Trust in the Lord... Sing when thy trials are greatest; Trust in the Lord and take heart." Yet this is not counsel rooted merely in melody, but finds its sure foundation in the immutable Word of God.
Surely, the path of the just is paved with tribulation and affliction, for our Lord hath forewarned us, saying, "These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world" (John 16:33). Every hardship—be it bodily infirmity, spiritual distress, persecution for righteousness’ sake, or the burdens common to this mortal frame—falls not outside the providence of our Sovereign God. Yea, He hath not left us comfortless, but hath given us the Comforter and a sure Rock upon which to stand.
To faint in adversity revealeth a deficiency of spiritual might; it exposeth a heart not yet fortified with unwavering faith, enduring hope, and steadfast trust in the Lord. As it is written, "If thou faint in the day of adversity, thy strength is small" (Proverbs 24:10). This "strength" speaketh not of the flesh, but of the spirit—the inner man renewed day by day through the might of Christ.
How, then, shall we be upheld? The Word directeth our gaze: "Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith" (Hebrews 12:2). It is He alone who turneth our sorrow into singing and our mourning into joy. Even David, that sweet Psalmist of Israel, testified after his bitter weeping, "Thou hast turned for me my mourning into dancing: thou hast put off my sackcloth, and girded me with gladness" (Psalm 30:11).

Thus doth the Lord offer a divine exchange, according to His sure promise: "To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness" (Isaiah 61:3).
Take ye also to heart this enduring truth: though thy night seemeth long and the burden heavy, the morning of God’s deliverance is ordained. Yea, the darkest hour is but the herald of the dawn. For it is written, "For his anger endureth but a moment; in his favour is life: weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning" (Psalm 30:5). Therefore, despair not, neither let thy heart be troubled.
Art thou, even now, treading the valley of the shadow of death, burdened beyond thy strength? Hearken to the blessed promise: "For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal" (2 Corinthians 4:17-18).
Though sorrow pierce the heart like an arrow, it is but momentary compared to the eternal joys prepared for the faithful. Therefore, cleave unto hope—an anchor sure and stedfast, cast into the unchangeable promises of God and the finished work of Christ.
For "which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast, and which entereth into that within the veil" (Hebrews 6:19).
Let this charge be written upon the tables of thy heart: faint not, yield not, despair not. Thy trial shall give place to triumph; thy sorrow shall be turned to singing. Stand firm, beloved:
"Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, be strong" (1 Corinthians 16:13). Be thou rooted and grounded in Christ’s love, knowing assuredly, "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose" (Romans 8:28). Hold fast, O soul, for faithful is He that promised; He shall surely bring it to pass.