Dare To Hope

Hope.

It’s a word that has become somewhat convoluted and carelessly tossed around in today’s day and age.

“I hope it snows tomorrow,” says the young child who wants a day off from school.
“We hope you start feeling better,” says the well-meaning Christian after promising to pray for a friend.
“I hope Jesus comes back soon; our country is a mess,” says, well, pretty much any evangelical these days.

But what is hope? Is it wishing something will happen? Is it making a plan and following through (though that seems far too concrete of a definition for such an abstract term)? Is it the same as faith?

Hope, in the Greek language, means “to anticipate, usually with pleasure.” In Hebrew, it has various meanings, but the general thought behind each of them is to have patient confidence in a place of refuge. (Source)

The biblical meaning of hope is not to wish something would occur; that is a twenty-first century American viewpoint. To treat it as such is to lessen your view of the power of God. In my own words, biblical hope means to be confident in your anticipation that God will be faithful to His character and His promises.

As I write this in early 2021, we are living in unprecedented times in our nation. Though we have seen the rise and fall of other nations at the hands of a corrupt government, we have not experienced this as Americans. Religious persecution, lockdowns, censorship, and trials of the like have been something we read about, but did not personally experience.

Unfortunately, that is not the case anymore. I won’t pretend to have the ability to predict where our country is headed, but it is evident from the attitude of many leaders that their decisions will most likely not be in favor of conservative Christ-followers and the lifestyles that we pursue.

To put it simply: life might get hard.

And yet, the word hope keeps ringing in my head.

Confidence. Anticipation. Faithfulness.

All words that I can’t seem to shake.

To The Word

Let’s take a quick jump through Scripture to find out what the Holy Spirit has to say about hope. (All verses are NASB unless otherwise noted.)

“This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, a hope both sure and reliable and one which enters within the veil, where Jesus has entered as a forerunner for us, having become a high priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.” – Hebrews 6:19-20

“…we celebrate in hope of the glory of God. And not only this, but we also celebrate 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 5:2-5

“…it [love] keeps every confidence, it believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.” – 1 Corinthians 13:7

“…to whom God willed to make known what the wealth of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles is, the mystery that is Christ in you, the hope of glory.” – Colossians 1:27

Hope in the glory of God. Hope in all things. Hope through character and perseverance. Hope as anchor, as assurance, in the veil, in our Savior.

It’s not a cheap word. It’s not easy, or wishful, or flippant. It is a fire-forged confidence and assurance that you know who God is and what His promises are.

Which then bodes the question…

Who is God?

Really, truly, biblically, who is God?
Not who do we think He is; not who does the Church say that He is; but who does the Holy Spirit, the author of the Word, say that God Almighty is?

He is El Shaddai, the Lord God Almighty.
He is El Elyon, the Most High God.
He is Adonai, the Lord, Master.
He is Yahweh, the Lord, Jehovah.
He is Jehovah Nissi, the Lord my banner.
He is Jehovah Raah, the Lord my shepherd.
He is Jehovah Rapha, the Lord that heals.
He is Jehovah Shammah, the Lord is there.
He is Jehovah Tsidkenu, the Lord our righteousness.
He is Jehovah Mekoddishkem, the Lord who sanctifies you.
He is Jehovah Jireh, the Lord will provide.
He is Jehovah Shalom, the Lord is peace.
He is Jehovah Sabaoth, the Lord of hosts.
He is Jehovah Machsi, the Lord our refuge.
He is El Olam, the everlasting God.
He is our Creator.
He is the Beginning and the End, the Alpha and the Omega.
He is before all things, within all things, around all things.
He is Truth, Love, and Grace.

He is Elohim, God.

Hope is not always easy. It challenges us, stretches us, and strengthens us. But friends, we must dare to hope.

Dare to hope that God is who He says He is – our provider, our peace, our refuge, our banner.

He is everlasting. He is Almighty. And He is here.

Dare to hope in Him.

Soli deo Gloria,

Abbey