Lamentations 3:24 says, “The Lord is my portion, and my inheritance, says my soul; Therefore I have HOPE in Him and wait expectantly for Him.” For the believer, our hope should be placed solely on and in Jesus and should not be placed in anything or anyone else. Hope in the Lord raises our expectation that the Lord will do what only He can do. Hope fills us with faith and expectancy and renews our strength. Jesus came to give us HOPE. Only because of Jesus can we be confident and grounded in hope despite the desperate narrative of the world.
As I read through the Scriptures about hope, one thing stood out to me that I never really saw before - Hope is FULL of vision. It changes your perspective. It takes you off your circumstances. Hope allows you to focus on Jesus. Trusting Him regardless of the season, mountain or valley. When we decide to look past our natural circumstances and even fight against what we are feeling and going through emotionally, placing our trust in the Lord allows the hope of Jesus to fill us up and have a future.
Proverbs 13:12
Hope deferred makes the heart sick, But when desire is fulfilled, it is a tree of life.
Hope deferred causes us to lose our faith and our way. It causes us to lose confidence and courage. It creates the opposite of hope and makes our souls restless in despair. Psalms 42:5 tells us “Why are you in despair, O soul? And why have you become restless and disturbed within me?” To combat this, we must place our HOPE IN GOD and wait expectantly for Him, for I shall again praise Him for the help of His presence.
Biblical hope is a strong foundation because it is built on God. Daniel 3:16 -18 is the story about the 3 Hebrew boys who never lost hope even in the face of fiery death. They were willing to go into the furnace because they never lost their hope and trust in God. They were not willing to compromise their hope. Although this story is in the Old Testament, they understood that biblical hope isn’t founded in our changed circumstances but in GOD alone. Colossians 1:27 says, “God [in His eternal plan] chose to make known to them how great for the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in and among you, the HOPE and guarantee of [realizing the} glory.” When you place your hope in the Lord you are placing your trust in Jesus. Trusting Him with your future and in your present knowing that He has never failed you and never will. Jesus is our way maker and He will make a way when there is no way.
Romans 15: 4
For whatever was written in earlier times was written for our instruction so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scripture we might have hope and OVERFLOW with confidence in His promises.
I don’t know about you but sometimes I have to fight to keep my hope up in certain seasons. You might find yourself battling the very opposite of hope which is hopelessness, despair, defeat, or discouragement. For the seasons you don’t feel very hopeful, here are some ways to overcome:
Worship Jesus because He is always good. Praise Him for saving you and pulling you out of the pit. Start to recall ALL of the times the Lord has come through for you. Remember how He has never failed you nor will He.
Despite everything you hear or feel around you let hope in Jesus become your anchor in every circumstance. Look away from the circumstances that confront us instead look to Christ.
Read scripture about God's promises. Hold fast to them. Hope comes from the promises of God rooted in the work of Christ. In Jesus, there is always hope and a promise.
Hope is described as a key to the Christian life. Hope is so powerful because it enables us to continue to move forward. Hope releases “mobility” into our lives and keeps us from becoming stuck in the mud. Prepare your heart to receive what the Lord has promised you. Fix your heart and thoughts upon Jesus. Placing your hope in Him. Hebrews 6:13-15 reminds us of the story of Abraham and how the Lord made an oath with Abraham. Not only would the Lord bless Abraham but also He promised to bless his descendants. Don’t place your hope in feelings, circumstances, or even what other people had said. For the believer, hope is a person and His name is Jesus and he overcame death! This is such good news. Jesus is our Eternal hope!
Allow hope to change your perspective. Let the hope of Jesus fill your heart, mind, and body. Allow hope to shape your mindset and influence the way you speak and think. I pray that when everything in your life seems dim, draw near to Jesus and allow His light of hope to shine over you. The battle has been won.
My Prayer for you:
Jesus, I ask that you fill us with fresh hope. That hope would fill every part of our beings. It’s in this secure place of full trust in you that. I pray that you will begin to see beyond the natural realm and look to Jesus, the One whom we can confidently place our hope in.
Psalms 25:5 “Lead me by your truth and teach me, for you
are the God who saves me. All day long I place my hope in you.”
In Jesus' name, Amen!