Is There Any Hope?
Most of the time when we use the word hope we’re talking about wishful thinking. We hope our team wins the game, or we hope we get a raise. We can wish all day for something, but it doesn’t mean it will happen. Hope in God is not like that. It isn’t wishing that God will do something. It’s knowing God will do what He has promised (Titus 1:2).
Hope in God is based on the promises of the Bible. Because God never changes (James 1:17) and His word is always true (Isaiah 40:8), we have a confident expectation, not in our own feelings or wishes, but in the reality of who God is.
This hope is actually the opposite of wishful thinking.
It’s accepting things as they actually are.
Life can be hard for us all. There are seasons of loss, hurt, broken relationships, failed dreams, and seemingly impossible situations. In these times, the person without hope in God feels caught, stuck, and unable to cope. The person who hopes in God goes through these difficult circumstances knowing that the trial is never the end of the story (James 1:12). God is always working, even when we can’t see it, for His glory and our good (Romans 8:28). Even when things seem to be spinning out of control, God is always in charge (Job 42:2), and He will always take care of us (Romans 8:38–39). This hope gives peace to people in hard times that just doesn’t make sense apart from God (Isaiah 26:3).
It’s impossible to hope in God if you don’t know who He is or what we have in Him. The Bible’s promises give hope regarding salvation, trials, the future, material provision, life, death, and so much more. Reading the Bible on a regular basis gets us familiar with God’s promises so that we have truth to hold on to when things get hard. Being part of a community of Christians allows other believers to encourage us with God’s truth when it’s hard to remember it for ourselves. As this happens, we learn that God is enough. When we hope in Him, we won’t be disappointed.