“I sure hope my children buy me that new top-of-the-line GMC truck for my birthday—a black one!” I’m certain all three of them are laughing out loud, as they read this or thinking I’ve gone crazy. People use the word hope quite loosely—I hope my team wins; I hope your plane doesn’t crash; I hope you have a good day. These examples and my hope for a new truck fall more under the category of a wish than a hope. None of these has any basis that guarantees fulfillment or success. We must base hope on a proven track record, or an established truth. The dictionary defines a wish as having a desire for something unattainable. Its basis is nothing more than a want, an emotional desire, or a fanciful idea. Scripture grounds hope in the knowledge of facts. The English word hope and the biblical term for hope are not the same. This is where believers must be cautious and not allow our English usage of hope influence our understanding of biblical hope.
We live in a world that abounds with hopelessness. This results from people placing their hope in the wrong sources. Lasting hope never exists in our world systems, any government, our money, and certainly not people. Hope promised in the Bible is not a feeling or an emotion. For Christians, hope comes through a living person. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead (1Pe 1:3). Biblical hope is not just wishful thinking; unlike those in false religions wishing they might obtain immortal life. Being justified by His grace we would be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life (Tit 3:7)—not a wish for eternal life. The Bible nowhere uses the term wish.
Faith always accompanies hope. But now faith, hope, love, abide these three (1Co13:13); having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet, the hope of salvation (1Th 5:8); so that your faith and hope are in God (1Pe 1:21). In difficult times that appear hopeless, by faith we must take hold of the hope set before us (Heb 6:18). We don’t always feel like we have hope. Life can become so difficult we are unable even to perceive the possibility of hope. Paul experienced this on his journey to Rome to the point he gave up hope. For in hope we have been saved, but hope that is seen is not hope; for who hopes for what he already sees (Rom 8:24)? His ship encountered one of the Mediterranean Sea’s ferocious storms. It became so severe that everyone on board including Paul gave up hope. When neither sun nor stars appeared for many days and the storm continued raging, we finally gave up all hope of being saved (Acts 27:20 NIV).
Paul lost hope in his situation, but he did not lose hope in God. Hopeless situations create an opportunity for the Lord to display His power, which brings Him glory. “For this very night an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I serve stood before me, saying, ‘Do not be afraid, Paul; you must stand before Caesar; and behold, God has granted you all those who are sailing with you’ (Act 27:23, 24). God allows hopeless situations to come our way because in the end, they strengthen our faith in Him. When circumstances in the world strip away the things, in which we have placed our hope, we begin focusing on what truly matters. Hopeless conditions redirect our attention to eternity. Last week, I heard the testimony of a woman that doctors had diagnosed with stage 4 cancer. Instantly, nothing else in life mattered. But the Lord brought her through and doctors declared her cancer free. The testimony concluded with her sharing the things she had now eliminated from her life.
When in dark and hopeless times, look for God. He is bringing you to a higher knowledge of Himself. When Job’s hopeless plight began, he referred to God will the term Elohim. That would be equivalent today to calling God, the man upstairs. People may acknowledge there is a supreme being, but have no intimate relationship with Him. At the conclusion of his ordeal Job answered the Lord . . . I have heard of You by the hearing of the ear; But now my eye sees You (Job 42:1, 5). Lord, in all capital letters is the word Yahweh, which is the personal name of God. Job’s hopeless situation led to a revelation and a deeper understanding of God. From the ‘man upstairs’, he discovered the Lord on a personal level.
Job lost hope in his friends and called them sorry comforters (16:2). He never lost hope in God. Even if He kills me, I will hope in Him (13:15 HCSB). An old hymn sums up the truth about hope. My hope is built on nothing less, Than Jesus’ blood and righteousness, All other ground is sinking sand, in every high and stormy gale my anchor holds within the veil. We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, sure and steadfast (Heb 6:19 NET).
Sustaining Word for the Week: Have you given up hope in your situation, in people; is it dark? Look for God and know, Hope does not disappoint (Ro 5:5).