When the Water Feels Too Deep
When life feels overwhelming, hope—not strength—keeps you going. God renews those who trust Him, and the rescue you need may be much closer than it appears.
Wednesday, December 10, 2025
Hope itself is like a star—not to be seen in the sunshine of prosperity, but only to be discovered in the night of adversity.
Charles Spurgeon
TODAY’S OBJECTIVES
Daily Vitamin: Hope keeps you afloat.
Inspirational Story: God renews those who hope
Fruit of the Spirit: Proverbs 23:18
DAILY VITAMIN
Hope keeps you afloat.
You may feel like you’re sinking, but hope changes the story. Your strength will run out, but God’s rescue never will.
Pray for eyes to see God’s nearness in your struggle.
Identify one fear that’s draining your hope and give it to God.
Encourage someone else who’s struggling to keep going.
INSPIRATIONAL STORY
When the Water Feels Too Deep
Imagine a quiet laboratory in the 1950s.
A Johns Hopkins professor stands beside buckets filled with water. Inside, small rats are swimming, paddling desperately to stay afloat, their tiny bodies fighting exhaustion.
Though cruel, the goal of the experiment was simple:
How long can a rat swim before giving up?
The rats lasted only 15 minutes before they stopped trying.
But then something remarkable happened.
Just before each rat drowned, the professor reached in, lifted it out, dried it off, and let it rest. A few minutes later, he placed it back into the water.
This time, the rats didn’t swim for 15 minutes. They swam for over 60 hours.
They didn’t suddenly grow stronger; the water didn’t change, nor did the challenge get any easier.
So, what changed?
One simple yet powerful word: hope.
They had been rescued once, so they believed rescue could come again.
God uses hope as fuel for endurance.
This mirrors something deeply spiritual.
Life will drop you into waters that feel too deep. You’ll find yourself swimming with everything you have, wondering if you can keep going another minute.
But Scripture reminds us, “Those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength.” (Isaiah 40:31)
God didn’t say that those who work harder will renew their strength.
Or those who never struggle will renew their strength.
He said those who hope.
Don’t measure your future by the fear of today.
If you feel tired right now…
If you feel like the water is rising…
If you feel like your arms can’t take another stroke…
Remember this:
It’s not your strength that will carry you; it’s the hope you place in God.
Hope that God sees you.
Hope that He hears you.
Hope that He will intervene, even if you don’t know how or when.
So keep swimming.
Keep believing.
Keep hoping.
Your rescue may be closer than you think.
FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT
“Surely there is a future, and your hope will not be cut off.” (Proverbs 23:18)
Devotion: The future is full of possibilities. Hope lifts our eyes to what God is preparing for us.
Action: Journal your hopes for the coming year.
WATCH THE BIBLE COME TO LIFE
PROPHECY OF THE KING EP. 3 IS OUT!
In this episode, you’ll experience:
🌟The EPIC appearance of heaven’s choir.
🐑 The shepherd’s awe at the newborn Jesus.
🔥 Herod’s growing paranoia that a new king has come to threaten his kingdom.
Hit the image or the link below to watch! 👇🏽
Watch Now