Where’s Your Hope?

Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see.  Hebrews 11:1

“Don’t get your hopes up.”

How many of us have grown up hearing this adage?  These five words have drastically hindered the course of our lives.  And no, I’m not exaggerating.  How much of the abundant life in Christ has been snuffed out due to these five words…?

Let’s use the Word of God to challenge this poor advice; advice we unfortunately still adhere to today.  In the verse above we see that hope is the foundation on which faith (confidence) is built.  Hope gives us something to build upon.  Therefore, if we have no hope, we have no confidence.

You can also think of hope as a bridge to faith.  At times it may seem a bit frightening to put our hope in something that we cannot see.  It’s like stepping onto a bridge that, from your perspective, leads nowhere.  Or worse, leads to darkness.  Beloved, that is a lie.  Consider the Word of the Lord:

“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.”  Jeremiah 29:11

If hope were something to be dismissed, then why would the Lord encourage us by saying that He plans to give us hope?  If hope was something to be flushed down the toilet as the old adage suggests, then why is “Christ in us” called the hope of glory…?

I became its (the church) servant by the commission God gave me to fully proclaim to you the word of God, the mystery that was hidden for ages and generations but is now revealed to His saints, to whom God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.  Colossians 1:25-27

To illustrate further, we can view Jesus (our hope) as the bridge which leads to The Father, in Whom we place our faith (confidence).  Without Jesus, we cannot take hold of The Father.  Without hope, we cannot take hold of faith.

So where does hope come from?  In Jeremiah 29:11, God says He gives us hope.  And if hope is from God, why should we stifle it?  Enough said.

Beloved, sometimes we need to pause and consider what food we are ingesting and its affect on our lives.  If you had something in your refrigerator for several years, even decades, you would throw it out for the health of your body.  Likewise, if you have been carrying around a faulty belief system for decades, defined as one that goes against the Word of God, then for the health of your soul throw it out!

I encourage you this day to pour out a foundation of hope and build upon it with faith!  Ingest His Word daily, for faith comes by hearing His Word (Romans 10:17).  Hope, if allowed to rise, will set the platform needed for your faith.

So again I ask you to ponder: how much of your abundant life in Christ has been snuffed out due to these five words…?

Be blessed as you soak in this song…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O_sfxjqXdPg

LET HOPE ARISE!