We all face difficulties and things that are not fair—someone walks out of a relationship, you have a financial setback, a dishonest coworker makes you look bad and gets the promotion you deserve. But God sees everything you go through. He doesn’t keep you from all the trouble, but He says, “Return to your stronghold, you prisoners of hope; I will restore double to you” (Zechariah 9:12). When trouble comes, instead of being upset, have a new perspective: That just qualified you for double what you had before—twice the joy, twice the resources, twice the influence. God never brings you out the same. He makes the enemy pay for bringing the difficulty.
When you understand this principle, you won’t live bitter when people do you wrong or give up on your dreams because something unfair happens. You know that it’s setting you up for something greater. The coworker who thought he was hurting you didn’t realize he just qualified you for double. Without that financial setback, you wouldn’t see the blessing and favor that you’re going to see. Yes, it’s painful when a friend betrays you, but instead of living discouraged, you know it will open the door to other great relationships.
God says He will restore double to you, but there is a condition: You have to be a prisoner of hope. A prisoner means you’re captive to it. You can’t get away from hope. When you should be discouraged by what you’re going through, you still believe that God is on the throne, that He’s turning things to your advantage. You’re locked into hope and can’t be talked out of it. You’re praising when you could be complaining. You’re thanking God when you don’t see any sign of things changing
God is looking for prisoners of hope who have broken out of prisons of doubt, shame, discouragement, and bitterness. He is looking for people who don’t fall apart when trouble comes, for people who keep believing, keep praising, keep expecting, knowing that the trouble is setting them up for double. God wants to pay you back, to give you beauty for ashes, to make the rest of your life so rewarding that you don’t think about the pains of the past or who did you wrong.
You may be in a difficult situation today, but keep the right perspective—trouble qualifies you for double. It’s not there to set you back; it’s setting you up for increase, for favor, for great opportunities, for new levels. This is not the time to get discouraged and sit around being negative. This is the time to be a prisoner of hope. God has something big in your future. Don’t have a disadvantaged mentality; have a double mentality. That’s what allows God to show out in your life and take you where you’ve never imagined.