Biblical Hope is not the “hope” of a gambler, whose “hope” is the “hope” of CHANCE, wishful thinking, “I hope it happens,” but has no concrete assurance and with the uncertainty, it is often accompanied by fear, anxiety, dread, because it has no firm foundation for the fulfilling of the hope of chance! The hope of the pessimistic is like the little boy who said “Hope is wishing for what you know you are not going to get!” For some “hope” is the crossing of fingers. I once heard of a boxer who crossed himself before he boxed, someone asked if it helped and the response was “it does if you can box!”
At the other end of the hope of “chance” is the hope of the Optimist whose teaching is,”if you believe it you will receive it.” This is the false hope of self reliance, that says “look within” look to yourself, that YOU can make it happen, you are in control, and yet something as simple, small in size such as a kidney stone, though very painful, yet small, can show you just how little you are in control as it stops everything! The hope of chance has no foundation to back it up as a certainty! Where the hope of chance is your hope, you have no firm foundation to be assured of, only uncertainty! The hope of Chance, can aspire and be optimistic, but it has no firm foundation as people and circumstances can change and there is no assurance of the fulfillment of what is the hope of chance, uncertainty. It is a foundation based on sand, no stability, security! Both the pessimist and optimist have no foundation that guarantees the fulfillment of their hope!
The atheist Jean-Paul Sartre shortly before he dies said, that he so strongly resisted feelings of despair that he would tried to convince himself by saying…
“I know I shall die in hope.”
Then in profound sadness, he would add…
“But hope needs a foundation.” How right he was! Hope needs a firm, sure, secure, unchanging stable foundation!
Biblical Hope is the hope of CERTAINTY, which speaks of “confident expectation,” of eternal realities and is found in a Person, “…Christ Jesus our hope,”-{1 Tim 1:1}. The CERTAINTY of who He is and what HE promises, He Always does!
“My hope is built on nothing less
Than Jesus Christ, my righteousness;
I dare not trust the sweetest frame,
But wholly lean on Jesus’ name.
On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand;
All other ground is sinking sand,…” –🙂
Joseph Addison wrote that the blessed hope…
- “not only bears up the mind under sufferings but makes her rejoice in them.”
Isaac Watts wrote that …
Hope thinks nothing difficult; despair tells us that difficulty is insurmountable.
While the world system has no certainty because it is devoid of a personal relationship with the God of Hope, Hope, Biblical, God’s hope is essential. It is as necessary to a person as water is to a fish, without biblical Hope we live yo-yo emotional lives at the mercy of circumstances and unstable in all our ways, characterized by consistent episodes of fear, anxiety, despair and depression. Circumstances often master and they can be cruel, like a ship without a rudder in the storms tossed about and no ability to get through the storm, no control, no peace, no hope, just at the mercy of the winds and waves. Hopelessness is so common in a world where God is rejected, and false hopes are put forward and like grasping at grass that breaks away from the edge of a cliff offers no security, neither do the false hopes, the hope of chance to a soul that was created to know God and find their security and hope of certainty in Him who is unchanging and faithful! Paul wrote concerning all people who have ever lived or will live, they are all born without a Biblical hope, because all are born sinners, “… remember that you were at that time separate from Christ, excluded from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who formerly were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.”-{Eph 2:12-13}. Having no hope because they were without God, “But God…” through the blood of Jesus Christ have been brought near to God in a right relationship and gifted Hope that is found in Him! Hope is found in a Person! Stability, security, the “confident expectation” of Who He is and what He promises He will fulfill!
Hope is a strong conviction and confidence in the Promises of God being fulfilled!;
We have a firm Hope that assures us that when we sin, His blood cleanses us from All unrighteousness. Hope in the trials knowing He is in control and this is not the end of the story for we are heading HOME TO be with Him! Hope that we can do all things through Christ who infuses us with strength. Hope that we gave been gifted with everything we need pertaining to life and Godliness and precious and magnificent promises to enable, encourage us, and to be applied, cashed in as it were in the Bank of Heaven. We have Hope of a future reunion with loved ones who belong to Christ, and so we need not grieve as those who have no hope. He does not say do not grieve, but do not grieve as those who have no hope from Heaven. We have Hope in our sorrows that we are not alone, that He never abandons us no matter who walks out of our lives, He has promised He will never leave, abandon us. -{Heb 13:5}.
The great thing about Hope is it reaches beyond this world!
We have the hope of the believer’s Resurrection, as Paul said, “I am on trial for the HOPE and resurrection of the dead!”-{Acts 23:6} Hope in Him does not disappoint.”…those who hope in Me will not be disappointed.”-{Isaiah 43:29}. Our Hope is confident expectation in Him and His Word!
PRAYER;
“Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you will abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”-{Rom 15:13}. Hope produces joy and peace through the power of the Holy Spirit.What a prayer of dependence upon the God of Hope and a prayer request!
Think of three people and pray this prayer for them. Put their name in the place of “you” so as to personalize it. Pray it for yourself. He is able and delights to answer prayer according to His Will as revealed in His Word!
Biblical Hope is the antidote to DEPRESSION, DISCOURAGEMENT. -“Why are you in despair,{sunk down} O my soul? And why are you disturbed within me? Hope in God, for I shall again praise Him, The help of my countenance and my God.“-{Psalm 43:5 }.
The word “despair” means “downcast…disturbed”- laid low, depressed…agitated… “feelings” that took the Psalmist into deep despair. And he confronts himself asking a question and gives himself the answer-“Hope in God!” Faith’s confidence turns from despair to focusing on God, His Person, character, Word, Promises! Think the Truth about Him, trust in Him, as revealed in His Word. Set Him before your thinking. As the Psalmist said, “I have set the Lord continually before me; Because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken.”-{Psalm 16:8}
Biblical Hope, is “‘confident expectation,” In God. The strength of hope is in God’s ability and RELIABILITY To Fulfill All Of His Promises!
Hope In Him!