Day 10 – What’s The Believer's Firm Hope:

“I hate the double-minded, But I love Your law. You are my hiding place and my shield; I hope in Your word. Depart from me, you evildoers, For I will keep the commandments of my God! Uphold me according to Your word, that I may live; And do not let me be ashamed of my hope” Psalm 119:113-116 (NKJV).

Just as a ship’s anchor holds firmly to the bottom of the sea, our hope in God is just as immovable. Many believe that hope is only expectation and desire, meanwhile, a believer’s hope is different. We have hope because we can confidently expect God to do what He has promised. The strength of our hope is not from desire, but in His faithfulness throughout generations! The rugged hope of the believer is not that we will escape distress or peril or hunger or slaughter, but that Almighty God will make every one of our agonies an instrument of his mercy to do us good. “You meant it for evil,” Joseph said to his brothers who had sold him into slavery, “but God meant it for good.” And so it is with every calamity of those who love God. God meant it for good! The confidence that a sovereign God governs for your good all the pain and all the pleasure that you will ever experience is an absolutely incomparable refuge and security and hope and power in your life. Your confidence in this promise will grow and that the renewed stability and depth and freedom and hope and joy of your life will be living proof to the world that our God reigns. Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God. “Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit” Romans 15:13 (NKJV).

We long for our faith to be strong. The biblical definition of hope is “confident expectation.” Hope is a firm assurance regarding things that are unclear and unknown. Hope is a fundamental component of the life of the righteous. The believer’s firm is confident and enthusiastic, but it differs greatly from worldly optimism or positive thinking. Believer’s firm hope is steadfast assurance based on certainty and truth, not upon a cheery disposition that looks on the bright side. If hope rests on mere fantasy, it is worthless. Stay firmly anchored in God and His promises, and even though your ship may bob around in the waters, you can feel secure and confident in what the future holds. To be valid, hope must be based on truth and certainty. Since our God is the God of hope. The righteous, who have this trustful hope in God, have a general confidence in God’s protection and help and are free from fear and anxiety. “Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope. Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us” Romans 5:1-5 (NKJV).

The New Testament idea of hope is the recognition that in Christ is found the fulfillment of the Old Testament promises. Christian hope is rooted in faith in the divine salvation in Christ. Hope of Christians is brought into being through the presence of the promised Holy Spirit. It is the future hope of the resurrection of the dead, the promises given to Israel, the redemption of the body and of the whole creation, eternal glory, eternal life and the inheritance of the saints, the return of Christ, transformation into the likeness of Christ, the salvation of God or simply Christ Himself. The certainty of this blessed future is guaranteed through the indwelling of the Spirit, Christ in us, and the resurrection of Christ. Our Christian hope can work in our lives every single day. Our hope can keep us going through the hard times that inevitably come our way. In those times, instead of hoping for the outcome we want, or in the timing that works best for us, we can trust that in those hard times, God hasn’t left our side, and His plans and timing are perfect. He wants us anchored firmly to him. As we know and grow in our true hope, we develop a more positive outlook and approach life with an attitude of possibility rather than being negative and raining on everyone’s parade. Positivity attracts others to us along with opportunities. We project our blessing, and we will bless others in the process. Begin to practice seeing the good and the possibilities in every life situation whether it is good or bad. “For we were saved in this hope, but hope that is seen is not hope; for why does one still hope for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly wait for it with perseverance” Romans 8:24-25 (NKJV).

Hope is produced by endurance through suffering and is the inspiration behind endurance. Those who hope in Christ will see Christ exalted in life and in death. Trustworthy promises from God give us hope, and we may boast in this hope and exhibit great boldness in our faith. By contrast, those who do not place their trust in God are said to be without hope. Hope is a source of energy. It helps us to see something better up ahead and to put one foot in front of the other to move forward. When we feel hopeful for the future, we wake up in the morning ready to embrace the day. We are more prepared to work hard, to strive, to be willing to tackle and overcome the obstacles that we face. Hope keeps us going when we hit a brick wall. It reminds us of why we are pursuing this path and of the potential for something good to come of it. Along with faith and love, hope is an enduring virtue of the Christian life, and love springs from hope. Hope produces joy and peace in believers through the power of the Spirit. Our hope gives us the tools to live on earth with an eye on heaven. Paul attributes his apostolic calling to the hope of eternal glory. Hope in the return of Christ is the basis for believers to purify themselves in this life. “Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure” 1 John 3:2-3(NKJV).