HOPE ETERNAL
“For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness.” Romans 8:24-26a
Hope is commonly defined as the strong desire to see something happen, anticipation of a promise coming true, a wish, actually. But for us as BELIEVERS, hope is not wishful thinking; hope is a confident expectation of the fulfilment of God’s promises, which finds merit in His faithfulness. We hope because He is trustworthy. I love the way Paul plainly and logically paints a picture of hope, he says “you do not hope for something you can see or already have,” because we only hope for what we don’t see. We hope as people who know that He will fulfil His promises, we hope as people who believe, we hope as those who can trust the One who promised.
Hope is the other side of the coin of promise. We hope, and we wait. There is a tension between what we don’t see, and what we hope for, and often times this tension can be misinterpreted as fear, anxiety, or doubt which inadvertently leads us to shame. But these are the very feelings and thoughts that necessitate hope. We, as Christians, tend to lean towards being sensitive to any form of emotion that resembled fear or unrest, and when we experience these feelings we are quick to determine ourselves faithless. But we need to understand that there are times when we are faced with the lack of manifestation which will require a deliberate act of looking the situation in the eye and acknowledging that we need hope for the future. It is helpful to remember that being in a reality of unfulfilled promise and lack consequently demands hope. Acknowledging the dire situation is the action that can catalyse the hope we need. Look it in the eye, and speak hope to it. This process builds character and endurance, which leads to hope. Romans 5:4 and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame…
Because He is the God of hope, anticipate today to be a good day. Expect Him to come through for you. We hope, we expect, we anticipate with excitement. Act what you believe. Let your heart rest in this, He is willing and able. His arm is strong, and not too short to help. He will fulfill all He has promised. Hebrews 10:23 urges us to not let go of the confession of our hope. What are you saying about that situation? Are you calling God faithful? Are you hopeful that HE will come through for you? If you are struggling with this, one way to stir hope in our hearts is to speak and act according to His word, regardless of your feelings, because faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God (Romans 10:17). Speak His truth so that your ears can hear and your heart can have faith and remain in hope.
When we allow our hearts to hope on Him, we come alive with purpose. Hope gives new life to our dreams, our prayers, our focus becomes sure and our direction set. Allow His truth to navigate your heart towards hopeful words and actions. Allow hope to make the waiting easy. Wait on Him, for the thing you don’t yet see. Be patient for the fulfilling of promise. What He promised still stands. His promises are YES and AMEN, HE doesn’t change based on our inability to comprehend His heart, HE is still good, He is still for you. He doesn’t change. Allow your eyes to take in all the awe of His majesty, and let wonder arise in your heart again. Let Him be your default. Let Him be your first love. Not the stuff, not the breakthrough, not the answer, but the person. His love for us is great.
“Say to those with fearful hearts,“Be strong, do not fear; your God will come, he will come with vengeance; with divine retribution he will come to save you.” Isaiah 35:4-5
Pray with me, “Thank you Father for every promise you have spoken over my life. I trust You. I trust Your heart and Your intentions toward me. I ask that you will revive hope in my heart, for hope to arise and guide my thoughts and actions. I know that You are good. Today I choose to speak according to Your Word, “I am not afraid.”
