Our world is full of chaos and corruption. Murders, drugs, violence, economic turmoil, immorality and infidelity – they fill the news and constantly bombard us. Author Robin Sampson says all is not lost. She does not dwell on the problems around us, but instead takes us to God’s promises in the Scriptures, Discovering Hope in a Corrupt World.
In the lives of heroes like Daniel, Joseph, Ruth and Stephen, Robin Sampson describes how their struggles and their faith build a hope founded on the goodness of God. Even in unnamed people like the Widow of Zarephath and in the fictional Good Samaritan found only in Yeshua’s parable, she shows how trusting in God’s unending love breaks through the darkness of a corrupt world. That hope is a call to action for us today.
Discovering Hope in a Corrupt World
Lessons in Standing Firm and
Trusting God’s Promises
by Robin Sampson, 2025
For author Robin Sampson, the Bible isn’t just “Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth” or any of the other silly catch phrases you hear today. It is alive with the stories of real people who faced difficulties and challenges, yet stood strong in their faith. Beyond waiting for eternity in heaven, she brings to the forefront rich encounters of those who, as she aptly titles her book, are Discovering Hope in a Corrupt World.
Through twenty-three chapters, appropriately called “Lessons,” Sampson highlights Bible personalities, their struggles, and their victories. She challenges us to incorporate the same principles of faith and, yes, hope in the situations we face today. In the introduction, Sampson writes, “Unlike worldly hope, which rises and falls with the shifting tides of culture, biblical hope is a deliberate choice to trust God.”
Every day, we witness the crumbling of once-trusted institutions, the exposure of once-revered leaders, and the unraveling of certainties once taken for granted. Our hearts grow heavy, our spirits weary, and the whispered question emerges: Is hope still possible?
Scripture answers with a resounding YES – but not with the fragile, wishful thinking our culture often mistakes for hope. Biblical hope stands in stark contrast to the world’s hollow optimism. It is not a feeling that shifts with circumstances but an anchor secured to something – someone – beyond this corrupt world.
Discovering Hope in a Corrupt World, p. 5
While we certainly live in a “corrupt world,” the author chooses to spend her time on the hope and assurance that preserved each of these Biblical examples. She takes a positive, encouraging approach, inviting the reader to explore and apply the principles exhibited in these ancient lives to current situations. Details of any kind of personal or social corruption are not the focus. The message presented is one of hope.
Inside Discovering Hope in a Corrupt World
Discovering Hope in a Corrupt World is straightforward and well organized. It consists very simply of an introduction, 23 lessons, and a brief bibliography. Each of the 23 lessons follows a similar route through the chosen topic. Beginning with a passage of Scripture, expounding on a Biblical personality and sometimes digging into Hebrew or Greek words, the challenge to put hope into action always ends with prayer – communication with the One in whom hope is placed.
Though not every one of the lessons follows the same exact outline, typically you will find something like these subtopics:
- Scripture followed by an overview introduction
- Unpacking the Verse
- Biblical Example – digging into a specific character
- Putting it into Action – an organized list action items
- Reflective Questions
- Inspirational Insights
- Prayer
Sometimes, when the main topic or personality requires it, the author expands one of these areas or inserts another appropriate subtopic. Though the structure is consistent, it is not rigid and the message of hope through the example at hand is clear. These are familiar stories, but Sampson pauses to reflect and apply them – or rather, brings the reader to apply them – to real life situations.
Hebrew and Greek Word Studies
Of course, the Bible wasn’t written in English (or Spanish, German, or whatever your native tongue might be). Robin Sampson draws on the meaning of words in the ancient languages of the Bible that might be missed by the translations we use. She offers insight into some Hebrew and mostly Greek Bible words.
These word studies are catered to the topic at hand, which is the purpose of Discovering Hope in a Corrupt World. This isn’t a word study book; it is a series of lessons on applying what we can learn from these Bible words to our own lives today. That includes sometimes digging deeper into a Bible word, but it doesn’t mean you need Hebrew and Greek linguistic skills to follow the thought.
Almost all of the featured Scripture passages beginning each lesson are from the New Testament (there are a couple from Proverbs). This book, though highlighting mostly Old Testament characters, is written for believers who have placed their faith (and hope!) in Messiah Yeshua.
How to Use This Book
The author clearly wants us to do more than just read this book. The “lessons,” not chapters, are a guide for getting the point and purpose integrated into the life of the reader. Sampson is big into journaling, putting the things you discover in writing so that you can both incorporate it into your lifestyle now and come back later for a refresher.
This book is useful for individual study, but can also be a key outline for group study. The action lists, if carried out, provoke the reader to make more than just head knowledge out of the material. And the reflective questions are just that – questions without printed answers. Group discussion could be unfettered and lead anywhere.
I’ve always enjoy Bible word studies. The words usually come from the featured Bible passage (hence, the abundance of Greek words from the New Testament). You may want additional resources should you choose to expand on them. Generally, Strong’s or other reference numbers are not provided. Often the Greek or Hebrew spelling is shown, but that is not always the case.
Each lesson ends with a prayer, which of course you could just read, or you could actually pray.
A Few Personal Observations
I don’t like books that have a lot of fluff, excessive repetition, or just seem like the author is trying to fill a page. I like things organized, concise and to the point. Discovering Hope in a Corrupt World is just that – straightforward and simple without fluff. Yet it has challenges that, if you pause to consider them, means you don’t breeze through these lessons. You won’t get anything out of it just skimming.
There was one missed opportunity that I noticed. In a lesson called “Guard Your Heart,” I expected to find the important Hebrew word shamar – meaning to keep or guard. this is one of the early lessons, before I realized that the featured Bible words were usually found in the Scripture passage that begins the lesson. This lesson opened with Proverbs 4:23, which does actually use another word rooted in shamar. But that is the beauty of these simple lessons. They make you think, drawing on and adding your thoughts and the thoughts of a group to the words written on the page.
Other Books by Robin Sampson
You can read a little more about the author Robin Sampson in my review of her book Jesus in the Biblical Holidays. Here are a few of her other works.
Discovering Women of the Bible (Paperback) (Kindle)
A Family Guide to the Biblical Holidays with Activities for All Ages
Jesus in the Biblical Holidays (Paperback) (Kindle)
Check out Robin Sampson’s Author Page at Amazon for some of her Homeschooling books.