Hope Is Not A Wish
Hope is so much more than wishing for a better tomorrow. In this series, we'll explore what it means to know Abba as the God of Hope and discover how His goodness and Love allow us to live fully today and look toward tomorrow with hope.
Living Expectantly With The God Of Hope
“Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you will abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” Romans 15:13
I Hope So
We use the word hope pretty casually.
“I hope the test comes back clear.” “I hope the relationship works out.” “I hope things get better.”
Usually we mean, “This is what I really want, but I don't know what will happen.”
Paul gives hope a much stronger foundation. He calls Abba the God of Hope.
The Greek word for hope, elpis, carries expectation and confident anticipation.
Biblical hope isn't confidence in a particular outcome; it is confidence growing from the character of the One in whom our hope rests.
Knowing The God Of Hope
At 69, I've lived enough tomorrows to know that some bring wonderful surprises and others bring things I would never have chosen.
I've also lived enough of them to look back and recognize Abba's faithfulness in places I couldn't understand as I walked through them. There have been tears and laughter, loss and new beginnings, prayers answered differently than I expected, and plenty of stories still unfolding.
He has been faithful through it all.
That history with Him gives hope a place to stand.
Hope Is For Today
Paul says the God of Hope fills us with joy and peace as we trust Him until we actually abound in hope through the power of the Holy Spirit.
Hope isn't merely waiting for heaven someday. It is the life of the God of Hope within us, allowing us to live fully with Him today while looking toward tomorrow with expectancy.
I can love today without knowing how everything turns out.
I can dream while prayers remain unanswered.
I can grieve deeply and still know grief doesn't get the final word.
Someone Is Already There
Tomorrow will always contain things I cannot see from today.
But hope doesn't require me to see them.
Hope knows the One who will meet me there.
Abba is the Source of my hope, Jesus is the revelation of His goodness, and the Holy Spirit within me keeps awakening my heart to both.
Hope isn't wishing tomorrow will be good. Hope is knowing the God Who is good—and trusting that every tomorrow will be lived with Him.
Reflection
Have I confused hope with getting the outcome I want?
What has Abba's faithfulness already taught me about His heart?
How might knowing the God of Hope help me live more fully today?
Prayer
Abba Father, You are the God of Hope. Fill me with the joy and peace that grow from trusting You, and let Your Spirit awaken in me a hope that rests not in what tomorrow holds, but in the goodness of the One who will share it with me. Amen.