Encouragement for Today
Daring To Hope in the In-Between- Encouragement for Today – July 20, 2026
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July 20, 2026
Daring To Hope in the In-BetweenANGEL SMYTHE PARISI, COMPEL Pro Member
Lee en español
“Yet I still dare to hope when I remember this …” Lamentations 3:21 (NLT)
I was in that in-between place: caught between who I once was and this new version of myself that felt obscure, insecure, and lost. My sparkle had fizzled out, and I was swirling in an unexpected identity crisis. Who was I now?
Those first weeks after retiring from teaching, I’d felt free and hopeful. No more lesson plans or report cards! But also no more being called “Mrs. Parisi” hundreds of times a day, no more story-time magic, no more toothless grins or small arms wrapped around my neck in surprise hugs
Instead of setting up my classroom, I was packing for my family’s big, 1,500-mile relocation. Everything was changing — and fast. Between the endless boxes and address changes, I began wondering if my life still had purpose
I’d felt so sure in my teaching role, so confident in years of ministry service. Now? Tears flowed daily, sometimes feeling like they’d never stop
Maybe you’ve been here too
In this season of lament, all I knew to do was read my Bible and cry out to the Lord. I didn’t realize my relationship with Him could actually deepen as I learned to root myself in His Word rather than my circumstances. My hope had gone completely dormant
That’s why these words from Lamentations meant so much to me: “Yet I still dare to hope when I remember this …” (Lamentations 3:21)
I could only “remember” something I had known before. And the familiar verses that followed were the ones I needed to bring back to my mind: “The faithful love of the LORD never ends! His mercies never cease. Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning” (Lamentations 3:22-23, NLT)
These were truths I’d known and experienced my whole life. They could give me courage to dare to hope again. Like the prophet of Lamentations in his darkest moment, I had to make an intentional choice to remember God’s character instead of drowning in my circumstances
If you’re like me, forgetting comes easier as we age. I was forgetting that the same God who had been faithful to me for five decades wasn’t about to change now. Hebrews 13:8 reminds us, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever” (NLT)
Even in the unknown, hope can emerge from dormancy and spring to life. God’s faithfulness is great, and His compassion toward us never fails. He gives fresh mercy every morning, which means His purposes for us don’t fade in those in-between spaces
When we can’t see what’s ahead, we can still dare to hope because our hope rests in His unchanging character, not our changing circumstances
Father, I admit I forget just how good You are. Thank You for Your Word that guides and comforts me. Give me the courage to dare to hope, even when my circumstances feel hopeless. Help me to trust You more than my feelings and to recall Your unchanging faithfulness. I receive the fresh mercies You give me today. In Jesus’ Name, Amen
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Today’s devotion writer, Angel Smythe Parisi, is a COMPEL Pro Writers Training member and a winner of the annual Encouragement for Today Devotion Writing Challenge. To find out more about COMPEL Pro’s writing challenges and how to become a member today, click here
FOR DEEPER STUDY
Psalm 42:5, “Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God” (NIV)
Psalm 77:11-12, “But then I recall all you have done, O LORD; I remember your wonderful deeds of long ago. They are constantly in my thoughts. I cannot stop thinking about your mighty works” (NLT)
What truth about God’s character do you need to recall to your mind in your current season?
When you look back at your life, what are some specific ways God has shown His faithfulness to you that can give you courage to hope again?
We’d love to hear from you! Share your thoughts in the comments
© 2026 by Angel Smythe Parisi. All rights reserved.
Proverbs 31 MinistriesP.O. Box 3189 Matthews, NC 28106www.Proverbs31.org
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