Hope for Today

For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. (Romans 15:4)

In the Bible, ‘hope’ is a sure confidence that what we hope for will come to pass. Today we use the word ‘hope’ for things we want to happen but that we don’t feel confident will come to pass. The definition and use of the word ‘hope’ has changed from what the original Greek and Hebrew use in biblical times.

We might say ‘I hope this or that’ or ‘I hope I sleep well tonight’, and often the word ‘so’ follows as in ‘I hope so’, but this use of the word ‘hope’ implies that it might not happen. There is doubt in the way we use ‘hope’ today. It is no wonder that reading about ‘hope’ in God does not have the impact on us that it should.

When we read scripture about hope, we can be sure that what the Bible says we can hope for will happen because God is faithful, and He has promised it. We are to rejoice in our hope. The Scriptures would not encourage us to have hope if there was any doubt in what we were hoping for. How could we rejoice in hope if there is doubt attached to it? We have all heard the phrase, ‘there is no doubt about it’. This is Biblical ‘hope’. There is a certainty in Biblical ‘hope’. There is faith.

Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. (Romans 12:12)

As Christians we know we have ‘hope’ (the assurance or promise) for eternal life with Christ and we rejoice in it, but there is also hope for each of us today. We have ‘hope’ that Christ will be with us. We have ‘hope’ that He is guiding our path and providing our daily needs.

Unfortunately, we are a doubting people. There is limited confidence in what we hope for, even what we hope for from God. We have been let down by ourselves and others so that our faith and our hope are not the confident assurance they should be. We must choose to believe God’s word and change our view of the hope we read about in the Bible and know that our hope for all things is in Him.

Since we have been raised using the wrong meaning for ‘hope’, it will be difficult for us to change. When we say that our hope is in the Lord, we may have the assurance that eternal life with Him is ours. However, we struggle to have the same assurance that He will take care of us here and now. But we can walk through each day with confidence, with an all-powerful God beside us. He cares about the daily things, not just eternal things.

Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. (Hebrews 11:1)

We want so much more than we need, and we confuse our wants with needs. When our wants are not provided, our hope is infused with doubt. God is meeting our needs and in His great mercy and love, He often provides our wants too, but not if they are bad for us or for others. Are we alive? Are we fed? God is faithful. He is meeting our needs.

When hoping in the Lord, we often find ourselves more with a wait and see attitude. This is not faith. God is almighty, powerful, and in control of everything. He is not only dealing with our lives, but the lives of everyone around us. Consider the ripple effect on the lives of everyone we touch and those who are watching us. God provides what is necessary for everyone.

Surely there is a future, and your hope will not be cut off. (Proverbs 23:18)

As we walk through this difficult life we can have a Biblical hope that we are forgiven of our sins if we confess them to the father and we can know that He is giving us hope during our day, the hope that tells us He is meeting our needs.

“And now, O Lord, for what do I wait? My hope is in you. (Psalm 39:7)

Prayer: Lord, our hope is in You in all things. We believe that You love us and are with us, meeting our every need. We have wants too Lord and we know You care about those but help us to understand the difference.  Give us wisdom in what we choose to hope and pray for, knowing that Your will is best. Amen.