It Starts Small

Hope: the desire to see something happen or become true.

It is hard to survive without hope. Because of this, we tend to put our hope in objects, experiences, and people. This leads us to great disappointments when our expectations are unrealistic and mismanaged. We need to place our hope is something that is realistic and solid. We need to place our hope in God. When we learn to trust God, He fills us with so much hope we are overflowing with it.

¹³ Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you believe so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. Romans 15:13

Hope is where we get anticipation and expectation that God is working. OUr hope is present even when we can not see it happening. It is a spiritual optimism that leads to building our faith. We might say that our faith and hope go hand in hand. WIthout faith, there is no hope. Without hope, there is no faith. Faith is believing who God says He is and hope is the expectation that He is there. When we have hope in God, it propels our faith.

How do we live it out?

Knowing how to navigate our thoughts is key to living our lives with hope. We can become overwhelmed and feel defeated in things that have little eternal impact. WHen a plan fails and we get disappointed, we can still have hope despite earthly disappointments. A real hope is trust God at His Word that He will deliver faithfully on His promises no matter what the situation is. Our circumstances do not dictate our hope and other people in our lives do not dictate our hope.

What do I do when I feel Hopeless?

When hope feels far off, it is likely that we have situational hope. This kind of hope is placed in temporary things or even people that brings despair. Take a moment to analyze where you have directed your hope. If your hope is in anything in this world, place it in the hands of God. Our hope is secured when we’re grounded in Jesus and are expectant about spending eternity with him.

Take time to read God’s Word about hope.

² We have also obtained access through him by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we boast in the hope of the glory of God. ³ And not only that, but we also boast in our afflictions, because we know that affliction produces endurance, ⁴ endurance produces proven character, and proven character produces hope. ⁵ This hope will not disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured out in our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us. Romans 5:2-5

²⁴ Now in this hope we were saved, but hope that is seen is not hope, because who hopes for what he sees? ²⁵ Now if we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly wait for it with patience. Romans 8:24-25

³ Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Because of his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. 1 Peter 1:3

¹² Hope delayed makes the heart sick,
but desire fulfilled is a tree of life.
Proverbs 13:12

Part 1: And these Remain
Part 2: Faith
Part 3: Hope
Part 4: Love