I can't seem to get my life straightened out. I've been in and out of jail more times than I can remember (drugs, alcohol, things like that), and no matter how much counseling I get or how many resolutions I make, nothing seems to change. Am I hopeless? — G.R.

No, you're not hopeless—and the reason is because God has not given up on you. The fact that you haven't given up completely proves this.

God loves you no matter what your past has been. He loves you so much that He sent His only Son into the world to die on the cross for you. Listen: If you had been the only person on earth who needed God's forgiveness, Jesus Christ would still have gone to the cross for you. As the Bible says, "This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us" (1 John 3:16). For you!

Furthermore, God promises to help us when we truly turn in faith to Him. His Word promises, "'For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the Lord, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future'" (Jeremiah 29:11). My prayer is that you will trust these words, and then memorize them and store them up in your mind and heart.

Begin today by asking Jesus Christ to come into your heart and take over your life. Then quit trying to overcome your problems only in your own strength. Instead, admit your helplessness to God, and ask Him to help you face your problems and deal with them. With God's help, and the help of others He brings to you, the future can be different. God bless you.