There are many circumstances in life that can cause us to lose hope. Maybe you’re believing for something, but you haven’t seen the manifestation. Or maybe, things didn’t pan out the way you expected them. Either way, the results are the same. The flame of hope has dwindles down.
What is hope and why is it important? I love the way that Baker’s Evangelical dictionary of Biblical Theology defines hope. It states that hope is “to trust in, wait for, look for, or desire something or someone; or to expect something beneficial in the future”. Both the Old and New Testament words used for hope can also be translated to our English word “to trust”. These two words are so similar that they can be used interchangeably when reading verses in the Bible. No matter where in the Bible the word hope is used the goal of the verse is to point the person back to God. In the Old Testament, the Israelites hoped, or expectantly waited, for the coming of their Messiah. In the same sense, Christians today look forward to the day of Christ’s return. It is the essence of our faith.
The real question is as follows: Do we truly hope in God? As we’ve established above, the words hope and trust can be used interchangeably. So, do you truly trust in God? Hope is the response to a promise from God. The Bible is full of examples of people who hoped for, expectantly awaited, promises that God made to them. One such example is Abraham. When it didn’t make sense, he continued to put his hope in God. Abraham’s trust in God went as far as almost sacrificing his only son, for he believed that God could raise him from the ashes. How is it that he was able to be steadfast in hope? The Bible says that God is the source of hope. When we look to God as our source, we can confidently trust in Him. God always keeps His promises. Because He has never failed us yet, we can rest assured that He will come through.
So, what are you hoping for? This blog post was meant to encourage you (and myself). Let’s make a list of all the times that God answered our prayers. Take a moment to remember the promises that He made to you. Write them down. Write down scriptures that align with those promises. Keep it before you as a reminder. Since He’s been faithful, we can trust that He will still be faithful. As you hope in Him, allow His peace to ease your mind.
Sidebar: I’d love to hear testimonies of times when God kept His promise. Shoot me an email! 😊
Scripture References:
Psalms 62:5 (NLT) “Let all that I am wait quietly before God, for my hope is in him.”
Psalm 145:13b (NLT) “The Lord always keeps his promises; he is gracious in all he does.
Hebrews 10:23 (NLT) “Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep his promise.”
Romans 15:13 (NLT) “I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit.”
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