1 Corinthians 13:13 (NLT) tells us “Three things will last forever – faith, hope, and love.”
Hope according to one dictionary is an optimistic state of mind that is based on a desire or an expectation for positive outcomes with respect to events and circumstances in one’s life, or the world at large. This is not what the Bible means by hope. In Scripture, hope is the confident expectation, and firm assurance, of what God has promised. The strength of this hope is in God’s faithfulness.
Biblical hope is not wishful thinking. It is never based on what is possible with man. Biblical hope looks away from man to the promises and character of God. And when it does, it expects great things from God.
Biblical hope
Hope and faith are closely related, because both are based on trusting God and living according to what is unseen. Hebrews 11:1 (NIV) explains “Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.” Romans 8:24 (CEV) says “And this hope is what saves us.” Thus, if we can be hopeful for our salvation, that is unseen, then we can be hopeful for other things too. And not only can we be hopeful, we can be confident (assured) that it will happen.
Biblical hope not only trust in God’s goodness, it expects it to happen. And not only does it expect it to happen, it is confident that it will happen.
Like faith, hope is built on our unwavering confidence in God’s goodness and power to do what He says He will do because of His unfailing love for us and who He is.
When God prepared the Israelites to enter Canaan He promised them: Exodus 34:10-11 (AMP) “Behold, I am going to make a covenant. Before all your people I will do wondrous works (miracles) such as have not been created or produced in all the earth nor among any of the nations; and all the people among whom you live shall see the working of the Lord, for it is a fearful and awesome thing that I am going to do with you. Be sure to observe what I am commanding you this day.” God did not point out the Israelites’ ability, He highlighted His own.
God’s Word is trustworthy. His promises are irrevocable, because of who He is:
- He does not overpromise and underdeliver. Romans 4:21 (NLT) “He was fully convinced that God is able to do whatever he promises.” Joshua 21:45 (NIV) “Not one of all the Lord’s good promises to Israel failed; everyone was fulfilled.”
- He cannot lie. Hebrews 6:18 (NLT) “So God has given both his promise and his oath. These two things are unchangeable because it is impossible for God to lie.”
- He is unchanging. James 1:17 (NLT) “Whatever is good and perfect is a gift coming down to us from God our Father, who created all the lights in the heavens. He never changes or casts a shifting shadow.”
- He is faithful. Hebrews 10:23 (NLT) “Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep his promise.” Titus 1:2 (MSG) “He doesn’t break promises.”
- He is able to do the impossible. Matthew 19:26 (NIV) “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”
The question is not if God will keep His promises, but rather, will we build our lives on them?
Discouragement
Proverbs 13:12 (NLT) “Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a dream fulfilled is a tree of life.”
Synonyms for discouragement include disappointment, melancholy, gloominess, low spirits, despair, downheartedness, discontent, pessimism, dejection, hopelessness, despondency, joylessness, demotivated, disheartened, without inner resolve to carry on. The Cambridge dictionary defines discouragement as the state of having lost your confidence or enthusiasm for something.
While this feeling is natural, it is important to guard our souls from discouragement. The enemy seeks to fill our minds with thoughts that eventually can cause us to lose our joy and feel dejected. He wants to convince us that things will never change. He is a discourager. He wants to pull us down emotionally, spiritually, financially and in every possible way he can.
Doubt and discouragement bring us down, but hope releases joy and peace! Romans 15:13 (AMP) “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing [through the experience of your faith] that by the power of the Holy Spirit you will abound in hope and overflow with confidence in His promises.” True hope comes from God. It comes by trusting God, even when circumstances are disheartening. Trust produces obedience. That is the power of the Holy Spirit.
Hope says: “Things are this way or may have been this way for a long time, but God is the God of the impossible, and things can change.”
Dealing with discouragement
- Turn to God
In Psalm 42, the descendants of Korah pose the question: “Why am I discouraged? Why is my heart so sad?” When difficulties come, discouragement may follow. The psalmist then goes on to give us a blueprint for how to deal with this: “I will put my hope in God! I will praise him again, my Savior and my God! Now I am deeply discouraged, but I will remember you.” The psalmist turned to God. He acknowledges and admits his disheartened state and the circumstances that caused his soul to grow dispirited. He gave name to his feelings. He even grieved them. He identifies the source. He then urged himself to remain hopeful.
Psalms 34:18 (CEV) “The Lord is there to rescue all who are discouraged and have given up hope.” “The Lord is close to the broken-hearted; he rescues those whose spirits are crushed. (NLT)
Disappointment is a sadness that occurs when our hopes and desires are left unfulfilled. The next time you encounter a situation that threatens to pull you down, make a decision to turn to God in prayer and allow the Holy Spirit to fill you with hope.
- Choose hope
Emotions are part of being human. Still, we have a choice whether or not we’ll allow our feelings to dictate our lives. We should not live by our emotions, because they can be deceiving, or in contradiction to the truth of what God says.
Our minds are powerful! When we choose to dwell on negative things, it feeds discouragement. The more time you spend reading and thinking about God’s Word, the more it gets inside of you and begins to change you from the inside out. Hebrews 4:12 (NLT) says “the word of God is alive and powerful”. It has the ability to change the way you see yourself and the future. As you fill your mind with the truth from the Word of God and claim His promises as your own, it will bring hope.
Choose to believe what God says instead of your feelings.
Trusting in God is intentional. Believing in His promises is a conscious act we must practice, despite how we feel. Fill your mind and mouth with positive, hopeful things from God’s Word. Because, no matter what you’re going through, or what your mind may be telling you, God loves you, and He is always ready and willing to help you.
- Hold on to God’s promises
The Hebrew word “tikvah” or “tiqwa” is translated as hope in the English. Yet, it has a much deeper meaning in Hebrew. “Tikvah” is defined as a cord, a rope, a line. Meaning to bind. “Tikvah” is a rope that we can hang onto God with when things are good and bad.
When Paul was standing on trial in front of King Agrippa, he’s only justification was “I believed the promises made by God” (Acts 26:6). So did Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Abel, Enoch, Sarah, Noah, Joseph, Joshua, Gideon, Samuel, Moses, etc. (Hebrews 11). Their stories are all different, but the theme is the same. They trusted in God’s promises instead of circumstances. They chose unshakeable hope.
Hebrews 6:18-19 (TPT) “So, it is impossible for God to lie for we know that His promise and His vow will never change! And now we have run into His heart to hide ourselves in His faithfulness. This is where we find His strength and comfort, for He empowers us to seize what has already been established ahead of time – an unshakable hope! We have this certain hope like a strong, unbreakable anchor holding our souls to God himself. Our anchor of hope is fastened to the mercy seat in the heavenly realm beyond the sacred threshold.”
God makes a promise. Faith believes it. Hope anticipates it, and patience quietly awaits it.
Dwight L. Moody (1837-1899)
For every problem in life God has given us a promise. Make it your aim to get acquainted with these promises in God’s Word so that you can claim them. Isaiah 62:6 (AMPC) “You who [are His servants and by your prayers] put the Lord in remembrance [of His promises], keep not silence.”
- Live with expectation
Another Hebrew word translated in English as hope is “qavah”. “Qavah” means to trust and wait expectantly or look eagerly in anticipation for. God wants us to expect good things for our future and fill us with hope (Jeremiah 29:11).
Hoping in God will never lead us into despair, because He has a plan for all of us who look to Him. He has a future that is full of hope. Proverbs 23:18 (NLT) reassure us “Your hope will not be disappointed.”
What are you expecting?
Without hope, life loses its meaning (Lamentations 3:18; Job 7:6). God is asking us to place our hope in Him. To expect and believe that He is greater than what we are going through.
What happened to Joseph (Genesis 50:20) is proof that no matter what you go through in life, there is always hope. No matter what ‘pit’ you find yourself in, all things are possible with God! He can even take the bad things that have happened, and work them out for our good.
Life doesn’t always go as planned! And it can be disappointing when things don’t go the way we had hoped. But don’t let today’s disappointments and difficulties ruin tomorrow. Instead of focusing on what has been lost, how you feel, or what did not come about, focus on His promises – all the good things God can do in the future.
- Put on the garment of praise
Isaiah 61:3 (NKJV) “To console those who mourn in Zion, to give them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness. That they may be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified.”
Gratitude isn’t a natural response to hardship. It is a discipline you develop. We may not always feel like praising God, but taking a few moments to talk to the Lord, and thank Him for His goodness, is one of the most powerful weapons we have to fight discouragement. When we worship God, we invite God’s presence into our situation. When we worship, we’re telling God that He’s good, even though we don’t fully understand our circumstances. Habakkuk 3:17-18 (NLT) “Even though the fig trees have no blossoms, and there are no grapes on the vines; even though the olive crop fails, and the fields lie empty and barren; even though the flocks die in the fields, and the cattle barns are empty, yet I will rejoice in the Lord! I will be joyful in the God of my salvation!”
Psalms 34:1-3 (AMP) “I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth. My soul makes its boast in the Lord; The humble and downtrodden will hear it and rejoice. O magnify the Lord with me, And let us lift up His name together.” When you take time to give thanks for the blessings in your life, it will change your outlook and attitude.
- Take the focus off yourself and look for someone to minister to
When Elijah reached his lowest point (1 Kings 19) God told him two things:
- Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the Lord. God helped Elijah to stop thinking about himself and his problems and start thinking about Him. When God has your ear, He can speak into it. When He has your heart, He can minister to it.
- Anoint Jehu to be king of Israel and anoint Elisha to replace you as my prophet. Take the focus off yourself and look for someone to minister to. There are many people who are also struggling with problems and worries. They need someone like you to minister to them, to encourage them. By helping others, we focus outward to reflect God’s love and compassion.
- Do not grow weary and lose heart
Though Jesus was perfect in every way, He was criticised continually. His enemies called Him a glutton and a drunkard (Matthew 11:19). They even accused Him of being possessed by a demon (John 8:48). His was denied by those He loved (Luke 22:54-62). He was rejected and dismissed (John 1:11). Yet, He never allowed bitterness or discouragement to defeat Him. To Jesus, every obstacle was an opportunity to demonstrate grace, bring hope and comfort to others. He saw disease as an opportunity to heal those who were sick. Hatred as an opportunity to love His enemies. Offences as an opportunity to forgive.
Jesus went through life turning trials into triumphs. And He is our example. The Bible says in Hebrews 12:3 (CEV) “So keep your mind on Jesus, who put up with many insults from sinners. Then you won’t get discouraged and give up.”
Joshua 1:9 (CEV) “I’ve commanded you to be strong and brave. Don’t ever be afraid or discouraged! I am the Lord your God, and I will be there to help you wherever you go.”
Keep hope alive
When we experience disappointment or discouragement, it’s because the expectations we had about something have gone unmet. There’s a gap between our expectations and life. Experiencing disappointment will be a part of our lives.
Paul says God is a God of hope. He reminds us that God can change our discouraged hearts to abound with hope. When we trust God’s goodness, our disappointments are never dead-ends. Scripture tells us that in this world we will face many trails. But Jesus says, “Take heart for I have overcome the world” (John 16:33).
When you walk through the valley of disappointment, know that God is your Good Shepherd. Know that His grace is sufficient. Know that He will carry you through.
Prayer: Dear Father, Your Word says that You are the lifter of my head (Psalm 3:3). Help me to focus on the promises from Your Word and not circumstances. Thank you for being with me every moment. Please help me to keep my eyes on You and Your goodness when life feels difficult. In Jesus name, amen.
