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What
does it mean to put your hope in something?
Is hope an action or a state of mind?
ALOVE tries to figure it out.
Hope is a fantastic word. It is able
to express so much so quickly. Usually
it is attached to some ethereal notion,
which hasn’t even the slightest
chance of seeing the light of day
You know the kind of thing: ‘I
hope that my clothes still fit after
the Christmas gorge fest’, ‘I
hope that the England cricket team will
win back the Ashes’ and ‘I
hope that essay will write itself and
I don’t have to stay up drinking
coffee to finish it’.
It can be a frivolous and whimsical
off the cuff remark that holds little
faith in the content of the stated hope.
Is this how we are supposed to approach
hope in the light of scripture and how
did the contributors of the bible approach
the subject?
It is relatively easy to write off hopes
as nothing but empty dreams. And in
ancient Greek literature ‘hopes’
were pretty close to that. They represented
aspirations and desires - nothing more
concrete than that.
We are, however, given a different picture
of hope throughout the pages of the
Old and New Testament.
Hope along with Faith and Love is a
gift from the Holy Spirit. This is an
important perspective as these gifts
will outlast prophecy, knowledge and
tongues (1Corinthians 13:8, 13).
This alone elevates Hope to a new level,
far outside that of mere fanciful daydreaming
and of things that have little substance.
There are at least two things that are
implicit regarding hope: the first is
that the source of hope is God. There
can be no other firmer basis for confidence.
The second is that it is something that
we can receive from God to strengthen
our resolve as we continue to rely on
his provision.
Christ in you is the hope of glory (Colossians
1:27; 1 Timothy 1:1).
Throughout Israel’s history there
have been occasions where it has looked
as if the nation wouldn’t survive:
Slavery in Egypt, the dwindling of the
northern kingdoms and eventual invasion
and exile by Nebuchadnezzar around 550BC
threw the people’s very existence
into doubt.
These were grounds for giving up hope,
but God had other ideas. Still to come
was the rebuilding of the temple, a
prophet to make a way for the coming
king and the incarnation of the Word
of God to a family of the line of David.
We can find ourselves facing up-hill
battles where all seems lost. Maybe
the previous year was really tough and
the thought of this year doesn’t
look too promising either. Life throws
all kinds of challenges our way. Things
may seem hopeless and no one is about
to suggest that with a bit of a pep
talk everything will be OK. These are
the times of being supported by the
very community Jesus established through
his church. The larger picture requires
our placing confidence (hope) in the
one who gives life to the full.
Even creation hopes for redemption (Romans
8:19-25 RSV). The difference between
the Greek understanding of hope and
the biblical application is confidence.
Where is your confidence?
Have you over the years built up a wealth
of experiences where you have proved
Gods promises and known his faithfulness?
Or is your journey just beginning.
Hope is linked with faith (Hebrews 11:1),
and this faith is based on Jesus and
his resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:19).
Most of what is said about hope in the
Christian context surrounds the individual,
however, much like love, it is to be
given out and shared. The active part
of the hope that is in us should encourage
us to be courageous.
Courageous Christians are imbued with
hope to be good news to those who they
come into contact with. The Salvation
Army at its roots is courageous to the
core. As you read this thousands of
people the world over are being supported
for no other reason than the courageousness
and love of people who know that hope
means action.
There is also a profound mystery to
hope. Paul prays for the church in Ephesus:
‘I pray also that the eyes of
your heart may be enlightened in order
that you may know the hope to which
he has called you, the riches of his
glorious inheritance in the saints,
and his incomparably great power for
us who believe.’ (1:18-19).
We are called to hope, this inevitably
means looking to the future. But Paul’s
expectation is that we know what is
before us, now. It is a present reality,
and this means living in that reality
here and now.
The watchword is confidence: we are
to ‘know the hope to which we
are called’. There can be no greater
confidence or incentive to be secure
in ourselves and to be courageous with
those around us.
Our response to this concrete hope has
to be both internal and external. For
ourselves, developing faith and towards
others instilling hope.
How will you respond to the hope that
is in you? Will you be courageous? |
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Read
...
1Corinthians 13:8, 13
Colossians 1:27; 1 Timothy 1:1
Romans 8:19-25 RSV
1 Corinthians 15:19
Hebrews 11
Ephesians 1:17 – hope to which
you are called
Hope In God:
Psalm 31:24; 33:22; 38:15; 39:7; 43:5;
71:5,14; 78:7; 130:7; 146:5
Jeremiah 17:7
Lamentations 3:21,24,26; 1Pe 1:21.
Reason for hope:
God's Word Psalm 119:74,81; Ro 15:4.
God's mercy, Psalms 33:18.
Jesus Christ 1Thessalonians 1:3; 1Ti
1:1.
Read:
No Future Without Forgiveness by Desmond
Tutu ISBN: 0712670130
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