The biblical definition of hope is the confident expectation of what God has promised and its strength is in His faithfulness. So, I wanted to break hope down into a couple different categories. But first, I want to set the foundation of hope with its definition, and paint a picture of what it is like to help us better understand it practically. We can apply the definition to our daily lives by confidently expecting that what God has promised is true BECAUSE He is faithful! And one of His promises is to give us the desires of our hearts when we delight in Him. If all His promises are yes and Amen, then we can trust in the fact that what we hope for, or desire, will happen!
The Bible says that faith is the substance of what we hoped for. The illustration for this could be a flashlight. When we buy a flashlight, we hope it works, right? But, what is needed to ensure that the flashlight will actually produce the light we need it to? Batteries. So, we can say hope is the flashlight, that is useless unless activated by faith which is the batteries. Hope is the base, and faith is the catalyst that activates it. The late great Kenneth E. Hagin said “Faith is grasping the unrealities of hope and bringing them into reality.”
Like I was saying in the last blog about faith, hope is what we cannot see. It is the imaginary dream floating in thin air. But, when we add our faith to it, it pulls it down and makes it into a real, tangible thing! Kenneth Hagin also said, “Hope says I will have it sometime, faith says I have it NOW. Real faith in God’s Word says if God’s Word says it is so, then it is so. It is mine. I have it now. Real faith also says I have it when I can’t see it.”
The first category I believe is important for every believer is the hope for the physical body. Isaiah 40:31 says; But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint. The second is the hope for financial prosperity. Jeremiah 29:11 says; For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” God wants us to have hope and a future, AND He wants to prosper us! And when we hope in the Lord, He will renew our strength and cause our bodies to not even grow weary or faint. I receive that! Amen?!
What is the main take away about hope? That it is always good to dream; to desire for things in the future. But, that hope is not able to become a reality without it being put to action by faith. But, with the same token, faith has nothing to activate if there is no hope (desire or dream) to put to action. They must work together! And, of course, tying in love as the greatest of faith, hope, and love; 1 Corinthians 13:1 says, If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 3 If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned,[a] but have not love, I gain nothing.
I pray this blessed you! Thank you for reading this blog! I always appreciate everyone who takes the time to check them out! Until next time, Beloved…
BE BLESSED!!!
