“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.” (Romans 15:13)
In the Bible hope is not a wish, as we often use the word. We hope for many things, but often don’t really expect to receive them or experience them. Biblical hope is a vision or expectancy based on who God is, which makes it a certainty. Romans 4:18, “Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many nations, just as it had been said to him, ‘So shall your offspring be.’”
Hebrews 11:1 says it this way, “Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.” Peter even calls our hope “alive”! 1 Peter 1:3, “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.”
Our life in Christ is vibrant because it rests on our great God of hope – who holds out such an exciting future that we can hardly wait to be in His physical presence forever.
Reflection: How easy is it for you to trust in this magnificent God of glory, endurance, encouragement and hope; who spends His time encouraging us to endure, and holds before us a wonderful hope?