What does it really mean to hope?
Over the last few months, this word has just been leaping off the page at me. The Lord keeps giving me Scriptures about hope, songs about hope, and conversations about hope.
What it comes down to is this: we have hope because of Jesus.
“This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, a hope both sure and steadfast and one which enters within the veil, where Jesus has entered as a forerunner for us…” Hebrews 6:19-20 (NASB)
In the original language, the use of the word “hope” in this context comes from the Greek root word elpomai which means “to anticipate, expect, to hope (for)” (Strong’s Concordance 1679).
True hope is found in the life, death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus. He is our hope. Because of him, we can hope against situations that seem hopeless.
Even when we’re at the point where something seems to be beyond hope, there is hope.
This is what it means to “hope against hope.” (Romans 4:18) Abraham thought he was too old to have a child, and it just seemed like a hopeless situation. He decided to “hope against hope” and believed that he would become a father, just as God had promised him. Even when everything told him not to hope, he trusted in the promises of God. This “hope” found in Romans 4 is the same kind of hope (and the same Greek root word) we see in Hebrews 6. There’s an element of expectation that comes with hope, and Abraham expected God to fulfill his promise.
Why is it so hard to trust a God who is always faithful? God told Abraham that he would be the father of many nations, and Abraham had to hope in the unseen. He waited and trusted, and all of it was rooted in the hope of what was to come.
Some of you may be in a season that is full of hope. You might be newly married or a new mom and the world seems full of hope for this new season of life. Maybe the Lord has opened a door that you didn’t expect for him to open. For some of you, your hope is in the unseen and you’re trusting the Lord and walking out hope on a daily basis.
Others of you may be in a dark or challenging season that may seem hopeless. Your spouse or child may have just gotten a difficult diagnosis. Singleness may be leaving you feeling alone and hopeless. You might have been out of work for a long time and the bills are piling up.
Whatever circumstance you find yourself in, there is hope.
“My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus’ blood and righteousness. I dare not trust the sweetest frame, but wholly lean on Jesus’ name.” (The Solid Rock)
Here are some verses that speak directly to hope:
And here’s my “hope” playlist that I have on repeat these days:
Hope’s Anthem – Bethel Music
Cornerstone – Hillsong Chapel
Christ is Enough – Hillsong Live
Rising Sun – All Sons & Daughters
Oceans (Where Feet May Fail) – Hillsong United
We Sing As One – Trinity Grace Church
Crown Him [Majesty] – Chris Tomlin and Kari Jobe
Once And For All – Passion
Never Once – Matt Redman
Though You Slay Me – Shane & Shane
No matter where you are or what you’re going through today, there’s hope.
Mary Margaret is an Event Project Coordinator at Lifeway. She has served several churches in the area of Girls Ministry and she recently completed a Master of Arts in Christian Education at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. In her spare time, she writes for Story of My Life – her personal blog.