Hope, one of the anchors of the Christian life, is deeply rooted in the same garden as faith. The Psalmist sums it up in 119:81, “… I hope in Your word” and here, the word that is translated “hope” from the Hebrew language, means to wait, and implies to be patient. Looking at hope in the New Testament perspective, it is translated from two Greek words. Seven times it is from Elpizo, meaning to expect or confide; every other time it comes from the word Elpis, meaning to anticipate, expect, or have confidence. Biblical hope is not just a fantasy or wishful thinking of something you desire to happen, but is very unlikely or even doubtful if it will do so. Bible hope, as the word implies, is to anticipate, and expect with confidence. Romans 15:4 tells us that the accounts of the Old Testament saints (and I believe today we could include the life of Jesus and the book of Acts) “were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope.” Their hope was based on the word of God, and Biblical hope today is no less so. Hebrews 11:1, reading from the Amplified Bible, explains it like this, “Now faith is the assurance (the confirmation, the title-deed) of the things [we] hope for, being the proof of things [we] do not see and the conviction of their reality – faith perceiving as real fact what is not revealed to the senses.” Here you see how hope works with faith or trust. This hope has a sure foundation, because it is anchored on what God says is “a tried stone, a precious cornerstone, a sure foundation” (Isaiah 28:16). And so Hebrews 6:19 tells us “This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast …”; not a hope only for this earthly life, limited by what the physical eye can see, but it is a hope that extends into a new and better life, eternally. 1 Corinthians 15:19-20 puts it like this, “If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most pitiable …”
Hope From God’s Word
-By Rose Hill
Without Your word I hope in vain,
And if my Lord had not been slain,
My soul very faint would grow,
And hope in God I would not know.
If my hope couldn’t go beyond here,
Then I would have very much to fear.
I would be miserable above all measure,
With nothing in the future to treasure.
But Christ has risen life to give,
So with Him in eternity I can live.
This brings my praise to my God above,
Who sent His Son to show His love.
Now with salvation I am blessed,
Trusting in Him brings peace and rest.
Unless otherwise noted Scripture quotations are form the New King James Version copyright 1982 by Thomas nelson Co. used by permission.