And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love…
1 Corinthians 13:33 (NIV)
Hope, the often misunderstood and misdefined word.
Hope Is Not About…
Hope is not about wishes.
Wish: “to feel or express a strong desire or hope for something that cannot or
probably will not happen,”
Hope is not about my desires.
I hope (wish) it doesn’t rain, I hope my team wins, I wish I were taller, etc.
Hope Is…
Old Testament Word For Hope
Hebrew - Tiqvah means to expect.
Root Word - Qavah, which means to wait for, to expect. or look eagerly.
New Testament Word For Hope
Greek Word - Elpis means expectation, trust, and confidence.
Root Word - Elpo, which means to anticipate (with pleasure) and to welcome.
Our Working Definition of the Word Hope
Hope is confidently looking, expectantly, towards the future based on our faith in God in the present and His faithfulness in the past.
What This Means For Me…
I Can Find Hope For This Life And The next.
For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. Jeremiah 29:11 (ESV)
If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be
pitied. 1 Corinthians 15:19 (ESV)
Surely there is a future, and your hope will not be cut off. Proverbs 23:18 (ESV)
Praise God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is so good, and by raising Jesus from death, he has given us new life and a hope that lives on. God has something stored up for you in heaven, where it will never decay or be ruined or disappear. 1 Peter 1:3-4 (CEV)
Hope means I can have a life of joy and peace.
I pray that God, who gives hope, will bless you with complete happiness and peace because of your faith. And may the power of the Holy Spirit fill you with hope. Romans 15:13 (CEV)
Hope means I can live a bold life.
Be strong, and let your heart take courage, All you who hope in the LORD.
Psalm 31:24 (NET)
How Do I Find & Keep Hope?
Hope is found in his Son & obeying His Will.
Father, if you will, please don't make me suffer by having me drink from this cup. But do what you want, and not what I want; Luke 22:42 (NIV)
“May the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ be blessed! On account of his vast mercy, he has given us new birth. You have been born anew into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. You have a pure and enduring inheritance that cannot perish—an inheritance that is presently kept safe in heaven for you. Through his faithfulness, you are guarded by God’s power so that you can receive the salvation he is ready to reveal in the last time.” 1 Peter
“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven,
but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Matthew 7:21 (NIV)
Hope requires that I endure.
Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. Hebrews 10:23 (ESV)
For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what they already haven't Romans 8:24 (NIV)