Holding On To Hope

Hope.

It’s one of those words that we say a lot. “ I hope so..”, “ I hope that…” But, what is hope?

Hope is a strong, confident expectation

Hope is often intertwined with change.  Aren’t most of our hopes tied to some sort of change in ourselves, others, or a circumstance?  When we are waiting on a report from a doctor or watching our children stumble over obstacles in their paths, hope is what keeps us going.

Kristy’s mother recently passed away unexpectedly.  In her words, “ I can’t imagine wading through this grief without being able to “expect with confidence” that I will see her on the other side.  A friend of mine told me when her mother died, someone told her,  ‘Don’t ever forget that your mom is still in your future’.  If we weren’t Christians, I wouldn’t have that hope of a future with her.  It brings me so much comfort to know my hope is a reality of things to come.”

Hope is a guarantee

Hope brings great comfort through trials.  As believers in Christ, hope doesn’t merely mean, “I hope we can go to the lake next week.”.  In God’s word, hope is a promise of what will happen.  Feeling a glimpse of hope gives us courage, and in those small moments, we feel protected and can rest.  Be reminded that whatever you are experiencing is only temporary.  The truth of what lies ahead for God’s children is eternal. 

Hope is a gift

Hope pulls people through their darkest places and loneliest moments.  It’s a way God summons us to keep trudging through the mud and the muck.    Every time you read God’s promises in the Bible, be comforted and strengthened to press on.  When we are in the midst of pain, hope is all we have, yet it’s hard to have it.  Don’t refuse the gift of hope.

Hope is a promise

Hope is that glimmer in the distance for safety, success, blessings, healing, adventure and the next step.  When people around us are losing hope, it’s important that we keep ours turned up loud and bright, to help them find a way out of the darkness.

The world is becoming more and more wicked, which can easily cause us to become more hopeless, but we serve a faithful God who always keeps his promises.  This life is full of many battles. It isn’t easy, but don’t give up because with God there is always hope for something better. 

In Psalm 10, David calls out to God asking how long He is going to allow wickedness and why He doesn’t intervene.  At the end of the chapter, David leans into God, acknowledges that God knows what He is doing, and decides to trust Him.  In order to have hope, we have to do these things:  lean into God, not turn away, trust, and believe without a doubt that all things work together for good for those who love God.  Focus on the belief that God would not place challenges on any of us if He thought we could not overcome them.  Hold onto hope and watch yourself become stronger for it.

Will it be easy? Probably not. 

Will it hurt?  Probably. 

Will it be worth it? Definitely.

Passages to Ponder:

Job 11:18- Having hope will give you courage.  You will be protected and rest in safety.

Psalm 10:17-18- Lord, you know the hopes of the helpless.  Surely you will hear their cries and comfort them.  You will bring justice to the orphans and the oppressed, so mere people can no longer terrify them.

Psalm 94:19- When doubts filled my mind, Your comfort gave me renewed hope and cheer.

Contributors:

Karen Bromby, Monica Brown, Jodi Dunbar, Michele Killion, Maria Kucharczuk, Kim McClure, Shawna Nelson and Kristy Tolley