Hope That Will Not Disappoint.

“Hope” in Biblical usage is such a powerful word. “Hope in God!” While “Hope,” when used by us, often conveys “doubt” such as “I hope it doesn’t rain… I hope it gets better… I hope we win…” Nothing more than wishful thinking with no assurance, or certainty. Yet “Hope in God” is an assurance of Him being who He is and ALWAYS Keeping His promises.  It is assurance, confident expectation, in the certainty of eternal realities in “the God of all Hope.”-{Rom 15:13}. 
What God has done in the past gives us hope for the future, that confident expectation in Him fulfilling His promises.{Read Psalm 39:7}

Scriptural “Hope” has no doubt in it! For its Object of HOPE is GOD!

In the Old Testament, one of the Hebrew words used for “Hope” {Batah} has the meaning of assurance, certainty, security, without care”- No doubts about it! 

THE “ROPE” OF HOPE.”

Another Hebrew word is the word “tikvah” (teek-VAH). Strong’s concordance defines it as “a cord, expectation, and hope. It comes from the Hebrew root “kavah” meaning to bind together, collect; to expect:” A cord, a rope, the first time “tikvah” is used is in Joshua 2:17-18,21 of the woman Rahab and the two Israelite spies. “The men said to her, “We shall be free from this oath to you which you have made us swear, unless, when we come into the land, you tie this cord of scarlet thread in the window through which you let us down, and gather to yourself into the house your father and your mother and your brothers and all your father’s household. (Jos. 2:17-18)
She said, “According to your words, so be it.” So she sent them away, and they departed; and she tied the scarlet cord in the window. (Jos. 2:21). The scarlet rope was Rahab’s hope of being spared by the Israelites.

Her “rope” was her hope of safety, and deliverance. Her expectation was that they would keep, and fulfill their promise to her! Her expectation was that they would keep, and fulfill their promise to her! Her expectation was in their fulfilling their promise!

  • “Biblical hope is a reality and not a feeling. Biblical hope carries no doubt.
  • Biblical hope is a sure foundation upon which we base our lives, believing that God always keeps His promises. Hope or confident assurance can be ours when we trust the words, “He who believes on Me has everlasting life” (John 6:47, NKJV). Accepting that gift of eternal life means our hope is no longer filled with doubt but, rather, has at its sure foundation the whole of God’s Word, the entirety of God’s character, and the finished work of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.”-{Gotquestions.com}
 In the New Testament. “Hope” {Elpizo} confident expectation based on God keeping His Word.., in His character, fulfilling ALL His promises… there is no doubt about it…because He is the Focus, foundation, faithful, reliable ONE!
Paul wrote about HOPE amidst tribulations “…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.”-{Rom 5:5}. Hope, confident assurance in the certainty of God’s goodness, and keeping His Word. The psalmist in between a rock and a hard place spoke to himself. He asked a question, “Why so downcast o my soul?” and answered what he needed to do instead “Put your HOPE IN GOD.”-{Psalm 42:5}. It is a complete change of focus and depositing of hope, and confidence in God and all He reveals Himself as such as …

HOPE IN GOD. THE CREATOR;

Creation Testifies of Him- “The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of His hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they reveal knowledge. “-{Psalm 19:1-2};
” For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—His eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.”-{Rom 1:20}
“Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?” -{Matt 6:26}.
 

HOPE IN AND FROM GOD’S WORD; 

“All Your Words are true…”-{Ps 119:160}; “You are my refuge and my shield; your word is my source of HOPE”-{Psalm 119:114NLT}; “I am counting on the LORD; yes, I am counting on Him. I have put my hope in His Word.”-{Psalm 130:5 nlt}
Receiving Hope Through His Word, “These things are written that through perseverance and the encouragement of the SCRIPTURES, you might Have HOPE… and God who GIVES HOPE-{Read Rom 15:4-5} God uses His Word to foster you with… HOPE!!! Can you see why the evil one would seek to discourage you from getting into the Word because he knows it is God’s means to ENCOURAGE you with HOPE!
MEDITATE, Hear, Read His Word… to keep from it Is to remove yourself from one Way God imparts HOPE! The evil one will seek to divert you from it, the world will mock you for it and at times self will seek to rationalize that as long as things are “fine” you don’t need it!
Could you share from Romans 15:4 with someone why it is spiritually, and emotionally beneficial for them to have His Word exposed to them and meditate upon it and be doers of this verse?
 

HOPE AMIDST AND THROUGH THE DIFFICULTIES;

Joyful confidence is how Paul puts it when he says ” and we EXULT/ BOAST/ GLORY in our sufferings, tribulations because we know.” What caused him and fellow Christians to exult with joyful confidence in the midst of great pressures suffering, and tribulations? It was what they knew. The word “know” means to be fully aware. They were fully aware of what God would produce, or as one translation says “achieve.” He would bring about spiritual development, maturing them in three areas, perseverance, proven character, and HOPE...Hope that would not disappoint. Why not? Because of God’s love being poured out in their hearts assuring them He loves them.

So often we can view any difficulty as God’s displeasure when in fact it can be His developing us and we too by the empowering of the Holy Spirit can look to what God will bring about as we trust Him in and with our sufferings! “And not only this, but we also celebrate{boast} in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance;  and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope;  and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.”-{Romans 5:3-5}. 

As difficult as the circumstances you will not remain in them for eternity for you are like the sheep whom the Shepherd leads THROUGH the valley of difficulties so as you and me. We are going “THROUGH” they are temporal, not ETERNAL. I love the verse in Psalm 23:4 “even though I walk THROUGH the valley of difficulties I will fear no evil for You are WITH me Your Rod and staff they COMFORT me.”

HOPE FOR THE DESPONDENT;

There is no low you can ever go that is beyond the God of hope getting to you and lifting you up and out of that horrid despondency,
For the despondent…there is Hope, through His Word. This is one means God uses to impart HOPE for them! There are times as believers when difficulties, and pressures arise and we turn inward and begin to spiral downward and we have to speak to ourselves and speak His Word to ourselves to “…put your HOPE IN GOD. as the Palmist did!-{Psalm 42:5}
No matter what you are going through, keep reminding yourself this is not God’s final destination for you. It is not the conclusion but a chapter in your story on the way to your ultimate destination to be with God Himself! 
  • Encourage yourself with who God is as revealed in His Word.
  • Don’t listen to the lies listen to what God says in His Word and speak the truth continuously to yourself. “Whatever is TRUE… let your mind DWELL on”-{Phil 4:8}. True about Him, True about you “In Christ” True about His Promises. True about your final destination!

 HOPE IN JESUS CHRIST;

“Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus according to the commandment of God our Savior, and of Christ Jesus, who is our hope” (1 Timothy 1:1). He is our hope of eternal salvation, His sinless life and as our Substitute on that cross bearing our sin- all our sin, His death given to satisfy God’s perfect demands that all who repent towards god and place their faith in the LORD Jesus alone shall be forgiven saved from the penalty of sin, satan’s authority, the wrath of God, saved rescued from eternal dangers to eternal blessings, spiritual blessings “in Christ,” acceptance with God, sins forgiven, adopted into the family of God, gifted the Holy Spirit to teach and transform us and guarantee our eternal inheritance to be with God for all eternity. Our Hope is in the work of Christ, His merits alone! ” And coming to Him as to a living stone which has been rejected by people, but is choice and precious in the sight of God, you also, as living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house for a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices that are acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. For this is contained in Scripture: Behold, I am laying in Zion a choice stone, a precious cornerstoneAnd the one who believes in Him will not be put to shame.{disappointed}. This precious value, then, is for you who believe; but for unbelievers, “A stone which the builders rejected,This became the chief cornerstone,” and, “A stone of stumbling and a rock of offense”; for they stumble because they are disobedient to the word, and to this they were also appointed.”-{1 Peter 2:4-8}

HOPE THROUGH PRAYER;

HOPE IN DEATH;

We all die. That is guaranteed! “And just as it is appointed for people to die once—and after this, judgment.”_Hebrews 9:27}. For the follower of the LORD Jesus there is HOPE, He has said, “I go and prepare a place for you, I am coming again and will take you to Myself, so that where I am, there you also will be “-{John 14:3}. “Father, I desire that they also, whom You have given Me, be with Me where I am, so that they may see My glory which You have given Me, for You loved Me before the foundation of the world.”-{John 17:24}; “For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ;  who will transform the body of our lowly condition into conformity with His glorious body, by the exertion of the power that He has even to subject all things to Himself.”-{Phil 3:20-21}; “Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we will be. We know that when He appears, we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is.”-{1 John 3:2}; “Now to Him who is able to protect you from stumbling, and to make you stand in the presence of His glory, blameless with great joy,  to the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority before all time and now and forever. Amen.”-{Jude 24-25}

Death for the follower of the LORD Jesus is the entrance into everlasting bliss in the presence of God, where faith becomes sight. Hope is fulfilled, and love reigns! “…absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.”-{2 Co 5:8}

HOPE DOES NOT DISAPPOINT;

“And not only this, but we also celebrate{boast} in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope; and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.”-{Romans 5:3-5}. Hope does not disappoint because of the Love of God that has been poured out in our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been GIFTED to us!

“HOPE IN GOD!” For in God, there is HOPE!

Hope is “confident expectation,: in the eternal realities of God; Creation testifies to the eternal realities of God. The truth of Scripture testifies to the eternal realities of God, the cross and resurrection and ascension of our LORD Jesus Christ testifies to the eternal realities of God, Transforming lives conforming to the image of Christ testifies to the eternal realities of God in whom we hope in! My confidence is not in a system but in the Savior- the LORD Jesus Christ. My confidence is not in a formula but in my Heavenly Father. Mu confidence is not in society but in the sacred Scriptures. My confidence is not in a place but a Person- the Living God in whom the Spirit of God is teaching me to HOPE IN GOD!

🙂
 
God Bless,
Aidan,