Hope For Today
...and tomorrow
“…now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.”
(I Corinthians 13:13/NIV)
The Apostle Paul’s “dissertation” on love in 1 Corinthians 13 is a most articulate and insightful look into God’s love for us. Love completely, unselfishly and with a heart for others. As he wrapped up the chapter, he succinctly stated the threefold foundation for our walk in Christ. Faith, hope and love.
There’s no doubt, love reigns supreme, as love reflects the very essence of who God is: “…God is love.” (1 John 4:8/NIV)
And the Scripture clearly presents the economy of faith – faith in God and His risen Son. The author of Hebrews exhorts us to “…draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance of faith…” (Hebrews 10:22/NIV)
Interestingly, faith is mentioned with a key component: “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” (Hebrews 11:1/KJV) (I’ve always loved the way the King James Version expressed that.)
Hope. It’s a word that for many years has fascinated me. And, in fact, it is a part of the “Big Three” that remain, though it seems to have taken a back seat the other two. So, years ago I embarked on a study of hope. I wrote articles on it, taught it in Bible Studies and presented it from pulpits. I was naïve enough to think I had it down pretty well. So I thought…
I recently went back to hope as a “new” study. I learned so much – it was humbling to see how much I had missed. But it was worth the exercise of revisiting the “third leg” in this Biblical foundation. So, bear with me!
The best definition of hope I’ve ever heard came from the late, distinguished Bible Teacher, Warren Wiersbe. He defined hope as “desire with confident expectation of fulfillment.” We’re not talking about “wishing.” We don’t have a “confident expectation” of winning the lottery. The odds are astronomical. It’s exceedingly unlikely to happen – and more likely a “wish” than a “hope.”
The Bible stresses where we place our hope. Simply put…our hope is in God. Our expectations are fulfilled in Him. Despite what godly Job endured, he could still say “…yet will I hope in Him.” (Job 13:15/NIV) And, back to Hebrews, from 6:10: “We have this hope as an anchor for the souls, firm and secure.” We can be absolutely confident in in this expectation called hope.
A little word study from the Hebrew and Greek helps…and I needed the help. Strong’s Concordance generally provides the Old Testament definition of hope as expectancy, trusting, waiting, longing for – and even - patient! The Greek from the New Testament speaks to confidence, expectation and even anticipation with pleasure. Dr. Wiersbe was right on, all along!
While all that may seem self-evident, I really had not deeply explored the issue of hope as it correlates to waiting and patience. (I’ve always wanted patience, just not the waiting or the process necessary to get it.) But how valuable to discover the blessings of hope as we wait on God “who works in you to will and to act according to His good purpose.” (Philippians 2:13/NIV)
We are living, as the Apostle Paul told us, in perilous times. We long for Christ’s return. Soon. VERY soon. All the while, we know He will come, in HIS time. In the meantime, we wait, in hope. God’s Word gives us the encouragement and instruction to do that.
These are frustrating, challenging times…even anxious times. The whole world is on a slippery slope. Perhaps as never before, believers are hopefully– and - anxiously awaiting Christ’s return. King David may have had some anxious thoughts when he penned Psalm 40, where he said: “I waited patiently for the LORD; He turned to me and heard my cry.” The result? David says God lifted him out of a slimy pit and “set my feet upon a rock and gave me a firm place to stand.” Psalm 40:1-2/NIV)
Similarly, Paul addressed waiting, patience and hope in Romans Chapter 8. He wrote: “Hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes or what he already has?” (vs. 24/NIV) Great question! If I already have something desired, I’ll not be hoping to get it. I’ll likely have moved on to something else I hope for – but don’t yet have. Paul brings us to the conclusion of the matter in verse 25: “But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.”
That’s hard for me. How about you? Let me leave you with encouragement – even hope – from that lament from the Prophet Jeremiah. He knew about fearful times and hope.
“…this I call to mind and therefore I have hope:
Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed,
for his compassions never fail.
They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.
I say to myself, “The Lord is my portion;
therefore I will wait for him.”
The Lord is good to those whose hope is in him,
to the one who seeks him;
it is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord.” (Lamentations 3:21-16/NIV)
Blessings,
Ken Andrews
VP United Ministries/KJOL
