Such a powerful, tenuous thing. I really got to thinking about this on Sunday night at our small group Bible study. We are watching a video series, and I have to say, a lot of the things the speaker says provoke me. While I believe his heart is good, I think he is missing the boat. But that is another topic altogether. What bothered me this week was that in trying to make a point about how our faith needs to be relevant to our lives today, he completely and totally discounted hope as a significant factor in our Christian lives. What he missed is that hope is what makes our faith relevant.
You can't read the Psalms without encountering powerful messages about Hope. The whole Old Testament in fact is geared toward the hope of a coming Christ and restored relationship with God. Read the New Testament. It is infused with hope. Faith, Hope, and Love. (I Cor. 13:13) They are not separate entities; they are entwined in eternity. God's Word is Truth. He is Love. He gives us Faith. He offers us Hope. Our faith in God is dead without Hope. It is one of the things that makes Christianity unique. The hope of eternity. The hope of the full restoration of all things. But I get ahead of myself.
Let me back up a little and offer insight with God's own words.
Psalm31:2 says...
"Be of good courage, And He shall strengthen your heart,All you who hope in the Lord."
Psalm 33:20-22
"Our soul waits for the Lord; He is our help and our shield. For our heart shall rejoice in Him, Because we have trusted in His holy name. Let Your mercy, O Lord, be upon us, just as we hope in You."
Psalm 34:4-5
(this one does not use the word "hope",
but the message is clear.)
"I sought the Lord, and He heard me, and delivered me from all my fears. They looked to Him and were radiant, and their faces were not ashamed."
Psalm 36:7-9 (One of my personal favorites.)
"How precious is Your lovingkindness, O God! Therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of Your wings. They are abundantly satisfied with the fullness of Your house, And You give them drink from the river of Your pleasure. For with You is the fountain of life; In your light we see light."
I Peter 3:15
"But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you..."
Romans 5:5
"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."
I Peter 1: 3-4
"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you."
"Be of good courage, And He shall strengthen your heart,All you who hope in the Lord."
Psalm 33:20-22
"Our soul waits for the Lord; He is our help and our shield. For our heart shall rejoice in Him, Because we have trusted in His holy name. Let Your mercy, O Lord, be upon us, just as we hope in You."
Psalm 34:4-5
(this one does not use the word "hope",
but the message is clear.)
"I sought the Lord, and He heard me, and delivered me from all my fears. They looked to Him and were radiant, and their faces were not ashamed."
Psalm 36:7-9 (One of my personal favorites.)
"How precious is Your lovingkindness, O God! Therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of Your wings. They are abundantly satisfied with the fullness of Your house, And You give them drink from the river of Your pleasure. For with You is the fountain of life; In your light we see light."
I Peter 3:15
"But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you..."
Romans 5:5
"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."
I Peter 1: 3-4
"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you."
The list could go on and on and on until you've essentially read the entire Bible. As a race, humans crave hope. This world is ravaged with pain, anger, and confusion. We long for something more. God offers us Himself as the answer. In relationship with Him we find Hope. For me, that is significant and worth pursuing.
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