Looking For HOPE

HOPE. HOLDING ON PRAYING EXPECTANTLY

“Put your hope in the LORD, for with the LORD is unfailing love and with Him is full redemption.” (Psalm 130:7)

The world around us has a very different picture of hope than we as Christian’s have been given by God, Himself. Maybe you can remember back in the day before you followed Jesus Christ, when you spent your life wishfully hoping things would happen, that they would come true. Have you ever said to yourself,  “I don’t know what’s going to happen, but I sure hope it happens!”

Now, when we read the word “hope” in the Bible (like in 1 Peter 1:13—“set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ”, hope is not wishful thinking. Hope is not “I don’t know if it’s going to happen, but I hope it happens.” That’s absolutely not what is meant by Christian hope.

Christian hope is when God has promised that something is going to happen and you put your trust in that promise. Christian hope is a confidence that something will come to pass because God has promised it will come to pass.

Christian hope is when God has promised that something is going to happen and you put your trust in that promise. Christian hope is a confidence that something will come to pass because God has promised it will come to pass. Christian hope is faith looking towards the future.

Hope is Romans 8:32: “He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?”

I love Phillips translation: “In face of all this, what is there left to say? If God is for us, who can be against us? He that did not hesitate to spare His own Son but gave Him up for us all—can we not trust such a God to give us, with Him, everything else that we can need?”

Go has given His Word, truthful, reliable and trustworthy, when we open our Bible’s and look inside, we find building blocks that when fitted together give us an endless supply of reasons to hope. What Jesus Christ alone has done for us in our sinful condition moves me forward and enables me to know that I will not be coming into judgment and condemnation and that all things are working together for my good!

Why? because at the end of the day and look in the mirror and know with great certainty that God’s promises and His character, and His faithfulness has never, ever let me down! He has given me the answer everyone is searching for, and that answer is Jesus Christ died for me, rose again for me, and therefore all the promises of God are yes and amen in Him. It doesn’t matter what is going on in this crazy and confused world around us, we have hope!

“ Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.” (1 Peter 1:3-5)

So let’s look away from the circumstances that confront us, let’s look to Jesus Christ, look to His promises, and hold fast to Him. Take the faith of a mustard seed and mix in a step of faith and you have all that is impossible with man but possible through God. (Philippians 4:13)

What does hope do for mankind?

Hope will always shine brighter when the hour is the darkest.

Hope always motivates when discouragement comes.

Hope energizes when the body is tired.

Hope sweetens while the bitterness bites.

Hope sings when all melodies are gone.

Hope believes when the evidence is eliminated.

Hope listens for answers when no one is talking.

Hope climbs over obstacles when no one is helping.

Hope endures hardship when no one is caring.

Hope smiles confidently when no one is laughing.

Hope reaches out for answers when no one is asking.

Hope presses toward victory when no one is encouraging.

Hope dares to give when no one is sharing.

Hope brings the victory when no one is winning.

And so, at the end of the day, there is nothing left to do but bury a man when his hopes are gone. At the end of the day we don’t need a better environment, what we need more of is MORE HOPE!

Hope is the one thing in your life that you cannot do without!