When Hope Seems Gone

St. Charles | Bob Ingle
July 12, 2026
Jonah 2:4-6

"Then I said, ‘I am driven away from your sight; yet I shall again look upon your holy temple.’ The waters closed in over me to take my life; the deep surrounded me; weeds were wrapped about my head at the roots of the mountains. I went down to the land whose bars closed upon me forever; yet you brought up my life from the pit, O LORD my God." Jonah 2:4-6 (ESV)

1. SIN MAKES YOU FEEL FAR FROM GOD

“Then I said, ‘I am driven away from your sight…” Jonah 2:4a (ESV)

The devil MINIMIZES your sin before you commit it and MAGNIFIES your sin after you commit it.

"For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans 8:38–39 (ESV)

"Restore to me the joy of your salvation." Psalm 51:12 (ESV)

2. FAITH HELPS YOU LOOK TO GOD

"YET I shall again look upon your holy temple." Jonah 2:4b (ESV)

“YET this I call to mind and therefore I have hope: Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.” Lamentations 3:21-23 (ESV)

“When they sin against you—for there is no one who does not sin—and you become angry with them and give them over to their enemies, who take them captive to their own lands, far away or near; and if they have a change of heart in the land where they are held captive, and repent and plead with you in the land of their captors and say, ‘We have sinned, we have done wrong, we have acted wickedly’; and if they turn back to you with all their heart and soul in the land of their enemies who took them captive, and pray to you toward the land you gave their ancestors, toward the city you have chosen and the temple I have built for your Name; then from heaven, your dwelling place, hear their prayer and their plea, and uphold their cause. And forgive your people, who have sinned against you; forgive all the offenses they have committed against you, and cause their captors to show them mercy.” 1 Kings 8:46-50 (NIV)

Faith is believing God’s PROMISES before you see His DELIVERANCE.

3. GRACE BRINGS YOU BACK TO GOD

“The waters closed in over me to take my life; the deep surrounded me; weeds were wrapped about my head.” Jonah 2:5 (ESV)

“To the roots of the mountains I went down…” Jonah 2:6a (ESV)

“…to the land whose bars closed upon me forever.” Jonah 2:6b (ESV)

Grace comes all the way DOWN to bring you all the way UP.