What Is Hopefulness And Why Do We Need It
Her children rise up and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her.
-Proverbs 31:28
We all experience difficult times in our lives. Whether it’s the death of a loved one or we’re faced with an incurable disease, there are moments where we don’t know what to do. But our hope is in the promises contained in the Word of God.
Without hope, we cannot see the proverbial light at the end of the tunnel. Going through challenging situations in life would consume us if we had no hope.
The Bible tells us that “hope deferred makes the heart sick” (Proverbs 13:12), so believers must stay hopeful during trying times and not forget to trust in God.
What Is the True Meaning of Hope
Hope is a concept that many of us take for granted. We have hope every day, but we don’t understand the true meaning behind it until we lose it. Hope is more than just wishing something would happen or praying about it. It’s about believing that anything can happen and being willing to work towards making those things happen by trusting God’s Word.
Hope is patiently enduring or waiting on the Lord (Numbers 23:19).
What Is the Difference Between Faith and Hope
“Faith is the assurance of things hoped for.” (Hebrews 11:1). Faith is the foundation of hope. The two are intertwined in a way that faith cannot exist without hope, and any attempt to live life with only one will inevitably be fruitless. Faith builds our hopes for tomorrow by connecting us positively to today- something we can’t do on our power alone! Faith believes in someone or something that already exists, like God. Hope believes that something will happen or come to pass, like God’s plans for us.
What the Bible Says About Hope
Hope is a Christian virtue that many different people have defined in many different ways. Is hope just about waiting for something to happen, or does it mean believing in what can be? The following verses are an example of what the Bible says about hope.
- Psalm 39:7 – “my hope is in Thee”
- Jeremiah 29:11 – “to give you a future and a hope”
- Romans 8:24-25 – “if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience”
- Romans 12:12 – “Rejoice in hope”
- Romans 15:4 – “through endurance and encouragement of the Scripture we might have hope”
- Romans 15:13 – “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace”
- Colossians 1:27 – “the hope of glory”
- 1 Peter 1:3 – “He has caused us to be born again to a living hope”
- 1 Peter 3:15 – “for the hope that is in you”
The best hope is the kind found in Christ. In John 14, Jesus says, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6) There are no other ways or paths to God–Jesus is our only hope for eternal salvation from sin!
I hope you found some hopeful, faith-filled thoughts in this article. Please share your takeaways with me below!
