“There is no medicine like hope, no incentive so great, and no tonic so powerful as expectation of something better tomorrow.” — Orison Marden
“Hope means hoping when things are hopeless, or it is no virtue at all… As long as matters are really hopeful, hope is mere flattery or platitude; it is only when everything is hopeless that hope begins to be a strength.” — G. K. Chesterton
“Hope is the companion of power, and mother of success; for whoso hopes strongly has within him the gift of miracles.” — Samuel Smiles
“Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost” (Rom. 15:13).
The word “hope” means to anticipate with pleasure. Ours is “the God of hope” — the Lord of expectancy. As you trust Him, He is able to “fill” (infuse or cram) you with delight and peace. Abounding in hope is “super-abounding”, or overflowing with anticipation. Hope is simply expecting what faith believes. And the source of hope is the tremendous power of the Holy Spirit in you.
“Hope” is a dominant theme in the Bible. It is mentioned 130 times. When you are going through a trial, you need hope. Even when you are so far back in the tunnel that you can’t see the light, you need to believe that there is a light! And hope is believing when nothing is visible.
Someone once noted that “hope is biblical shorthand for unconditional certainty.” That means God is near, regardless of your circumstances or feelings. Another described hope as the “present enjoyment of a future blessing.” That means you can take pleasure in things yet to happen. You need not wait for the actualization before you rejoice. “We have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God” (Rom. 5:2). Hope is in the present tense, not dependent upon the realization of a future happening.
Hope is one of the three abiding virtues mentioned in 1 Corinthians 13. There is powerful strength to be enjoyed in hope. Hope, even in the midst of suffering, gives stability and meaning to life. Some of the most optimistic people are the ones who have suffered greatly. Never forget that your dream imparts energy to carry on. Enthusiasm is about “God in you,” not the mess you’re in. My friend was in the hospital, and the attending physician gave him a wrong diagnosis and a prognosis of imminent death. This man was at total peace. He told me that he had already settled the issue of his departure in his heart years before, and he was ready to go. The good news is that the doctor was wrong. And the better news is that my friend was at peace even if the doctor had been right! The benefit of hope is that your eternal promotion can be a time of celebration. Adoniram Judson said, “The future is as bright as the promises of God.” If you are saved, this is as bad as it will ever be. Your eternal home awaits. No sin, no suffering, no sickness, no conflict, no tragedies, no grief, no sorrow, no Devil, no flesh, no evil world system — and the Lamb in the midst of the throne!
The Apostle Paul wrote, “If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable” (1 Cor. 15:19). But we have hope beyond planet earth. Believers have the blessed hope: “Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ” (Titus 2:13). Jesus is coming back, and that is the hope of the ages. He will rule as the righteous King forever — and no broken campaign promises! Take heart! One day Jesus will appear in all His glory, and He will set all things right. The Judge of all the earth will settle all accounts, and His rule will have no end.
Phillip Brooks reminds us, “Hope can see Heaven through the thickest clouds.” Regardless of circumstance, choose to embrace hope. Your spirit will be buoyed up by this powerful asset.
Thought Questions:
- Is your hope in the present tense?
- Are you actively looking for the “blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ”?
- In your adversity, are you resting in the fact that He shall reign forever?
Taken from “Extraordinary Strength in Adversity” by Harold Vaughan.
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