“Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost.” – Rom. 15:13
Yesterday’s article was entitled “It’s Not Hopeless”, but let’s face it, that’s not the way some folks feel. They have hit rock bottom and feel that all hope is gone. They feel trapped in a hopeless situation. And even a well intended message meant to encourage them seems to them like a mockery of their situation. So, do they really have reason to believe that there isn’t any hope? To answer that we must first know what is meant by hope. Many people don’t understand what hope is. They think of it as wishful thinking, a positive attitude, optimism. But hope isn’t hype. They are confused because the world’s definition of hope is different from the Bible’s definition. The world uses the word hope to express uncertainty, mere wishful thinking. But the Word of God uses it in regards to the confident expectation of something desired in the future. It speaks of anticipation or absolute assurance – the opposite of despair. As such hope is a powerful principle!
Someone said, “A man can survive 40 days without food, 3 days without water, and 8 minutes without air. But he can’t survive a second without hope“. So, knowing what it is and why it’s needed, we must understand where it is found. Sadly most folks are hunting hope in all the wrong places – such as religion, relationships, righteousness, and riches. Real hope, however, is found only in the Lord – ” the God of hope”. Of all the things that could be said of God this must be one of the most encouraging. To be assured that there is source of hope is a great comfort. To know that the One who cannot lie has promised to provide hope is a thrilling thought. We are not helpless, because things are not hopeless.
We can’t always change our circumstances, but we can change our confidence. God is both the origin and the object of our hope. Just as faith comes by the hearing of God’s word ( Rom. 10:17), hope comes by “believing” what God has promised. Therefore, just as faith can be increased, we can “abound in hope“. And that fills us with “all joy and peace”. Corrie Ten Boom said, “Look around and be distressed. Look inside and be depressed. Look at Jesus and be at rest”. At rest indeed! So rather than thinking of all the things that are against you, focus on the fact that God is for you, with you, and “able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us,” ( Eph. 3:20). That being the case, I say again, “It’s not hopeless”. – HDS
David Stone
Lakeway Baptist Church
5801 FM 1960 E
Humble, TX. 77346
