“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.”
Romans 15:14
Look around. This world often seems hopeless – do you see it as I do? For many, life itself appears hopeless. And if we are honest, most of us would say we have experienced times – even if only for brief moments – when our situation seemed without hope.
Feelings of hopelessness have proven to be the leading, consistent predictor of suicide and are more closely associated with suicide than depression.1
The Biden-Harris Administration reported that 44.2% of Americans experience persistent hopelessness.1
That dear friend is a lot of hopelessness.
Organizations have been established to teach people how to live more hopeful lives. Studies show that hopeful people are happier, more productive, better able to cope with life’s issues, less anxious, better equipped to deal with depressive feelings, and the list goes on. So now the world wants to teach people how to be hopeful…hmm.
As believers, we frown and shake our heads, rightly skeptical that the world has the solution for solving hopelessness.
But let’s be truthful with each other. How often do we look to the world first for answers and solutions when life seems to be caving in on us?
Having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which He has called you, what are the riches of His glorious inheritance in the saints…
Ephesians 1:18
We are to be the people of hope.
We have the solution to the world’s hopelessness. Better said…we know the ONE who is The Solution to the world’s hopelessness!
Paul says we have been called to hope. We should know the basis of our hope. We should understand and be able to explain our hope. And once we begin to understand the fullness of what it is that God has gifted to His Children, we should be excited to share our hope with others.
What is hope? How do you define it?
Merriam-Webster defines hope as “desire accompanied by expectation of, or belief in, fulfillment; expectation of fulfillment or success.” It also says that “hope” contains an element of trust and reliance.
The word translated as “hope” in Scripture means a joyful and confident expectation of a good outcome – eternal salvation.
I like Vine’s2 description of “hope”:
– Hope describes the happy anticipation of a good outcome (Titus 1:2, 1 Peter 1:21).
– Christ in you is our hope of glory. He is the ground upon which hope is based (Colossians 1:27).
– Christ is the One upon whom our hope is fixed (1 Timothy 1:1).
Scripture has a lot to say about hope, particularly in the New Testament. Perhaps it is mentioned so often (127-157 x depending on your version) because God’s people then needed to be reminded just as we do now – that we are to live as creatures of hope regardless of our circumstances.
Four adjectives are used to describe our hope in the New Testament:
– Good hope (2 Thessalonians 2:16) The word good can be translated as joyful, happy, excellent, distinguished, upright, honorable, and beneficial. God gives us hope that is good for us in all ways.
– Blessed hope (Titus 2:13) Blessed is the idea of prosperity, happiness, being fortunate, and being well-off as a result of a superior (God) who is the one that bestows the blessing. This isn’t referring necessarily to earthly things but to spiritual blessings of eternal value.
– Living hope (1 Peter 1:3) This word says that our hope is alive, it breathes, it brings to life, it is active, and has vitality and power – like living waters. How exciting is that?! Our hope should be a constant source of encouragement, invigorating us in our walk with Christ.
– Better hope (Hebrews 7:19) The writer of Hebrews compares our hope in Christ to the hope that the Old Testament Law offered. He says that “the Law made nothing perfect.” We know that the purpose of the Law was to point out man’s imperfection and inability to meet God’s standards (Romans 3:20). But in Jesus Christ, we have the better hope which will transform and one day lead to our perfection.
Friend, this is our hope because of Jesus! This is the glorious inheritance in which we are partakers now, and which will be fully realized in eternity.
Having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which He has called you, what are the riches of His glorious inheritance in the saints…. Ephesians 1:18
There is so much more to be said about our hope. And so much more that as believers, we should understand about the hope that lies within us – so much more that we should celebrate…but this is a devotional, not a Bible study series. And so, I will leave you some bullet-point thoughts that you can explore on your own if you choose – and I hope that you will.
Thoughts for your further study of Hope:
– Hope of righteousness, that is the completion of our transformation in the likeness of Christ and His righteousness. Galatians 5:5
– Hope of the Gospel. Colossians 1:23
– Hope of the glory of God – we will be witnesses to the glory of our God and our Savior. Romans 5:2, Titus 2:13, Colossians 1:27
– Hope of Salvation is in the context of The Day of the Lord and the rapture of believers. 1 Thessalonians 5:8
– Hope of His Calling for those who will respond to God’s call and for those who have already responded. Ephesians 1:18, 4:4
– Hope of Eternal Life thefull manifestation and realization of the eternal life that is ours today, as believers in Christ. Titus 1:2, 3:7
– God is the Author of Our Hope. Romans 15:13
– Steadfastness of Hope is expressed in times of trials. 1 Thessalonians 1:2-6
– Hope is the Anchor of Our Soul in the storms of life – Hebrews 6:18, 19
– Hope is a Purifying Power. 1 John 3:3
This past week I had the great blessing of attending a three-day women’s conference featuring three different outstanding Bible teachers. One of those speakers made the statement that in Heaven there will be no hope.
That comment caught me off-guard, as I was seriously considering her words, she went on to explain. She said something to the effect that in Heaven there is no place for hope because HOPE will be fully actualized, completely realized, and totally satisfied when we are in the presence of our God and Savior.
We will experience the perfection and completeness of that for which we hoped and looked forward to as followers of Christ Jesus.
That my friend is not just good news, it is the best news! It is news that needs to be shared with our loved ones, our friends, and anyone we meet who is mired in the hopelessness of this world.
Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful.
Hebrews 10:23
I wait for the LORD, my soul waits, and in His Word, I hope. Psalm 130:5
The LORD takes pleasure in those who fear Him, in those who hope in His steadfast love. Psalm 147:11
1 “Hopeful Minds” by iFred.org Project’; Association of Physicians, 2004; APA, 2013; PLoS One, 2015; www.HopefulMinds.org
2 Vine’s Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words, W.E. Vine, Thomas Nelson, Nashville, TN, 1984, 1996; page 311