How do you view hope? What is your perspective of hope? Do you view hope as nothing more than a wish? Do you treat it as wishful thinking? Is your hope more than that? Is it a trust in a promise that you believe will come true?
Many people use hope to mean wish. They hope for a new car. They hope for a better job. They hope for ice cream at the carnival. They hope their favorite team will win. All of these are more like wishing than hoping as the writers of the New Testament define hope.
If our hope in God’s promises is nothing more than wishing for something we are unsure will happen, we are in a sad state. If that is the case, we need to reevaluate our faith. For the faith that Jesus and the apostles spoke of is nothing like wishful thinking. It is a hope that trusts God to fulfill his promises.
How do we gain that hope? First and foremost, we need to read the Bible with a new set of eyes. We need to leave behind our perceptions. We need to ask God to open our minds and teach us the true meaning of his Word.
Next, we need to experience God’s promises. We need to step out in faith and trust God to provide. As we do and we experience him providing, our faith will increase, and our hope will be stronger. We will begin to step out in faith more often and bolder. When we do, God will smile with joy at our trust in him.
I pray we all give up our wishful thinking regarding God’s promises. I pray we trust that he will fulfill his promises. I pray each one of us will step out in faith to experience God. Give up wishful thinking. Trust in God’s promises. Step out in faith. Experience God. Boast in your hope in God.
Romans 5:1-2 Therefore, since we are justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have obtained access to this grace in which we stand; and we boast in our hope of sharing the glory of God.
Marty Pressey 