HOPE appears to be lost by many people in our society today. Everywhere you look there are problems but seemingly very few answers so it seems many people have sunk into “gloom and doom.” Young people face challenges in education and careers. Seniors see their “fixed incomes” as not so “fixed” anymore. People in that great space between being young and being a Senior see jobs and careers evaporating and uncertainty in every area of life. Where is HOPE to be found?
The bible talks a lot about Hope so let us talk about it also. The bible says, “Hope does not disappoint;” “Hope remains;” and “Hope provides an expectation of salvation.” The bible also calls the hope of Christians “a living hope.” We also find that “Christ in us is the Hope of Glory.” In the book of Titus he calls our looked for rapture experience, “The Blessed Hope.”
So we need to look at this great topic of “Hope” in the bible where we can be encouraged in spite of outward circumstances, locations or the times in which we as Christians live.
What is Hope? Vine’s Expository Dictionary defines HOPE as, “favorable and confident expectation. It has to do with the unseen and the future. Hope describes the happy anticipation of good.” Why would the Christian have an anticipation of good? Well, it has to do with the ground on which that hope is based. Colossians 1:27 says, “Christ in you the hope of glory.” We anticipate good because of our relationship to Christ and His indwelling Holy Spirit.
The Christian has an anticipation of good because of the object of our hope. Our hope is not based on people, society, government or things or circumstances. Paul in writing to Timothy said in 1Timothy 1:1, “Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the command of God our Savior and of Christ Jesus our hope.” We, as Christians have favorable and confident expectations because our expectations are fixed on and in Jesus. It is because we have a relationship with Christ and put our trust in Him that we have hope, that we have a favorable and confident anticipation of good in the future. We can begin our day and live our day in “doom and gloom” or we can look each day and each moment of each day to Christ Jesus our hope in favorable and confident anticipation of His good work in our lives.
-DR. CHUCK DAVIS
