When you look forward to something good happening and that gives you joy because you have some expectation of obtaining it, you have hope. My dogs and cats have an expectation that I will feed them and boy does their hope give them joy! People have many kinds of hope, but in whom do you place your hope?
When you take a journey, you hope to make it to your destination. You trust that your car and your ability to navigate and drive will get you there. When you face a difficult task, you have hope to complete it that gets better and better as you get closer to your goal. You are seeing that the expectations you have for yourself are coming to pass and your hope grows. What a wonderful feeling it is when that difficult task is done!
In whom do you hope when life gets hard and things don’t go your way?
What about eternity? What is your hope for life after death? In whom is your hope?
This is not something that you can do on your own. Everyone wonders what happens after you die and some even have hope for their eternal future. How sad it is when someone does not have hope for life after death! Yet some have hope in the wrong things for such an important issue. “What happens when I die?” “Where is my hope?” You must put your hope in the Holy One who can give real hope.
David tells us whom to hope in, in the Psalms (emphasis mine):
Be of good courage, and he shall strengthen your heart, all ye that hope in the LORD. – Psalms 31:24 (KJV)
Behold, the eye of the LORD is upon them that fear him, upon them that hope in his mercy; – Psalms 33:18 (KJV)
Let thy mercy, O LORD, be upon us, according as we hope in thee. – Psalms 33:22 (KJV)
Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me? hope in God: for I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God. – Psalms 43:5 (KJV)
That they might set their hope in God, and not forget the works of God, but keep his commandments: – Psalms 78:7 (KJV)
My soul fainteth for thy salvation: but I hope in thy word. – Psalms 119:81
Thou art my hiding place and my shield: I hope in thy word. – Psalms 119:114
Let Israel hope in the LORD: for with the LORD there is mercy, and with him is plenteous redemption. – Psalms 130:7
Let Israel hope in the LORD from henceforth and for ever. – Psalms 131:3 (KJV)
The LORD taketh pleasure in them that fear him, in those that hope in his mercy. – Psalms 147:11 (KJV)
I pray that you will have hope in your life because you are trusting in the Lord Jesus Christ for eternity.
Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; {6} Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour; {7} That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life. – Titus 3:5-7 (KJV) (emphasis mine)
God bless, Mike