But as for me, I watch in hope for the Lord, I wait for God my Saviour; my God will hear me—Micah 7:7 (NIV)
The Dictionary defines hope as a feeling of expectation, a desire or wish for certain things to happen. While hope from the Bible standpoint takes it one step further. This hope is an expectation, with certainty, that God will do what He has said. One is a wish or desire, while the other is certain or guaranteed!
When God promises that something is going to happen, and you put your trust in what He says, and know He will deliver. The purpose of hope is the confidence that something will come to pass, because God has promised it will happen, because He can not lie (Hebrews 6:18). This study made me take a look at the wrong things I put my hope in over the years, and I came to the realisation that as a result, I was disappointed many times. However we all from time to time place our hope in the wrong things.
Our hope should be an unshakable confidence in God, even when our circumstances give us a reason to doubt. It should give us strength to face any challenges that come our way. Hope will teach us the patience we need in order to overcome the hopeless feelings of anxiety, and worries about tomorrow. We can find hope in God’s unfailing love for us, encouragement, and joy during life’s struggles, no matter what is going on around us. “Put your hope in the LORD both now and forevermore.” (Psalm 131:3)
The opposite of hope is fear, doubt, and uncertainty which leaves us hopeless. God does not want us to lose hope, even while so many are losing their lives around us. There are a number of warnings in scripture against putting our hope in anything other than the Lord, because putting our hope in people and things, can and will sometimes leave us frustrated and disappointed.
The Apostle Paul says that He is: “the God of Hope” (Romans 15:13). Therefore, He alone is the source of all real hope. Thank God that the Bible offers hope for those who have failed, it does not leave us without a way out, instead it give hope to those who struggle against the weakness of the flesh. Why? Because: “The LORD delights in those who fear Him, who put their hope in His unfailing love.” (Psalm 147:11).
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