Although Webster’s denotes that the “feeling of trust” associated with hope is considered “archaic” by today’s standards. However, Biblically speaking, this is exactly what God meant by the word “hope.” We Christians trust in God that He will keep His promises.
For us, the feeling of trust associated with hope is not archaic, but an integral part of our relationship with Christ. We don’t just hope that Jesus will return; we know that one day we will see our Savior face-to-face.
Baker’s Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology defines hope as “to trust in, wait for, look for, or desire; to expect something beneficial in the future.” Let’s talk just a minute about suffering and why we need hope as we suffer. As Christians, we are not promised a life free from pain.
We lose loved ones. We may face a chronic illness. Our finances may be shaky at best. Relationships may become broken. These are just a few of the common adversities that humans may face. We know that because of the sin of Adam and Eve, we are born into a world of sin and suffering. We may feel as if we are “in darkness.” We may feel that no one cares about our suffering.
It is at this time that we must seek our hope in the dark – Jesus.
Romans 5:3 – 5 (ESV) tells us: “Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.”
Why in the world would we want to “glory in our sufferings”? Why would we remotely enjoy pain of any kind?
Look at what Paul says to us – sufferings lead to the manifestation of patience (perseverance), which leads to the development of good character, which leads to the production of hope. When my grandmother prayed nightly that God would watch over her, she was actually a little afraid.
However, she knew that God would not allow harm to come to her. She depended upon the hope that God would deliver her from any harm.
Look at something else in this verse: “hope does not put us to shame. Think about how we normally react when things aren’t going very well. We might be ashamed of a broken relationship or a loss of a job that results in wrecking our finances. However, our very relationship with Christ is a reason not to feel shame. We have hope for a better future in the Lord.
Jeremiah 29:11 (ESV) For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.
God intends for us to look to Him and His promise of a better future. We know we will find ourselves in Heaven with Him one day. We have hope!
Romans 15:13 (ESV) 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.
The Holy Spirit was sent to comfort us. The apostle Paul tells us that the Holy Spirit will give us joy and peace as we believe, which manifests hope.
Hebrews 11:1 (ESV)
Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.
We must have faith in order to have hope. We have to believe in something we haven’t yet seen, often a difficult task at best!
David said it best in Psalms 39:7 (ESV) “And now, O Lord, for what do I wait? My hope is in you.
Our hope must rest in the Lord. We must learn to lean on God and trust in His promises. He has promised us a future with Him and this alone should be our hope when things go badly on our earthly journey. Won’t you rest in Him today?