WHAT IS HOPE

At the end of 1 Corinthians we find a run of three powerful words which are connected in spiritual function and operation: faith, hope, and charity (or love). Starting in verse 12 we read, “For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known. 13And now abideth faith, hope (Strong’s #1680 joyful and confident expectation of eternal salvation), charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.” (1 Corinthians 13:12-13) Three little words that are critical to all we do in God. Now most Christians go after “faith” and “charity” (love) as to being the most important, but in reality the middle word “hope” is the word that makes it all happen. My teacher Charles Haun asked two pastors from Kenya what the best concordance to use to study the Bible; after some time and after much debate among them themselves they replied, “Strong’s Concordance” to which Charles relied, “no the Bible.” My friend the Bible is the best concordance or reference book on the Bible. We kind of understand the word “faith” as the writer to the Hebrews defines it, “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” (Hebrews 11:1) Many people ask me to give them a verse that really defines faith in a practical way and I take them to Esther, “if I perish I perish” or to Job, “though God slay me yet will I trust Him” now that is faith that transcends theory and the parching of thought and words, but if you really want to understand the word “faith” from the Book of Hebrews Chapter 11, it would be from verse 32 to 40. For example verse 36 and 37, “And others had trial of cruel mockings and scourgings, yea, moreover of bonds and imprisonment: 37They were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword: they wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins; being destitute, afflicted, tormented;” now that is “faith.” We can really understand the word “love” as defined in 1 John, “He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love. 9In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. 10Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.” (1 John 4:8-10) Sadly we use this word “love” to mean so many different things today even the homosexuals today refer to the lust they hold in their hearts for each other is God sponsored, but this can never be because God’s type of “love” is holy and righteousness where there is never any darkness (perversion, evil, sin) in it. John tells us, “This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. 6If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth:” (1 John 1:5-6) So now we have a pretty good understanding of “faith” and “love,” but how about that middle word “hope?” I think the importance of this word gets lost in the tons of sermons and in the betweens of “faith” and “love,” but make no mistake my friend “hope” to our salvation and spiritual growth and development is just as important as “faith” and “love” maybe more important. No matter what we do in life (which includes our walk with the LORD) to be successful in it we must be able to see ourselves doing it. Over the last three months I have been coaching a basketball team (to beef up BHG’s account) at the middle school where I substitute teach. As we ride the bus to the games we talk about what has been planned (types of defense and offense, etc.) for this game and then I ask the kids to close their eyes and sit quietly imagining different parts of the game. I ask them in their mind to start the game at the tip off what is their responsibility then what happens if we get the tip? What happens if we do not get the tip? Where are they to be on the court in their mind? Where are they running plays? Where are they running out of bound plays? My goal is to have them paint a picture in their imagination so vivid they can see themselves in action. I learned the importance of imagining things when I was studying for my master’s degree. I went over my notes so often all I had to do is roll back my head and look up where I could see my notes in the air. How could I not get a good grade on my tests? I could even turn pages in my mind. God has made our mind a very powerful organ and when we engage our imagination nothing is impossible, but this my friend takes work, commitment, and dedication. Hope is what keeps us going until we see the reality of what God says comes to pass. It is not faith that keeps us going, but hope. Faith is the operation, the power that energizes the word of God in us to believe through the good and bad times. Faith comes by hearing (Romans 10:17) this is why we must hear clearly from God to what He wills in a certain situation before we can have faith and then hold on to a God inspired hope until the victory is won. Hearing what? A good Sunday sermon? What our Christian friends tell us the LORD is saying? No what God personally has spoken to us about a given situation or circumstance in our lives and then we must allow this word to literally paint a picture in our heart and spirit. Before we left for Germany in 1996 I knew I would be traveling to many countries both in the service of the U.S. Navy and in the service of God. I would sit before the LORD (quiet and still) and imagine what this would be like. I imagined what the people would look like, what the counties would be like, what the landscape would look like, what the church services would look like of course they all were beyond my understanding when they happened, but what this did in me was build up my expectation. My imagining what God has called me to do painted pictures inside of me that developed my hope and expectation. Even when traveling while in Germany it was this expectation and hope that kept me going during tough times. Times when I was sick, lonely, sad, or disappointed, but within me was a God inspired hope that kept me. All along a two or three week trip to Africa or Asia I would imagine myself walking down the jet way to the airplane to board, walking down the hall to baggage claim, and then to the waiting arms of my wonderful wife. I could just feel her arms wrap around me and pull me to her breast. This hope is a leading of God that keeps us going forward no matter what we see or feel, it is evidence unseen (but in our heart) in reality until we walk in a present experience of fulfillment. Hope keeps us going until whatsoever we are hoping for comes to pass. Now there is no formula like all we have to see ourselves doing something and it will happen, oh no this thinking is wrong. God does not operate on what we think, feel, or say, but on His will and what He has spoken to us regarding His will. David who knew something about hope said, “Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer.” (Psalms 19:14) Notice not the meditation of my mind, but “the meditations of my heart.” The word “meditation” here is Strong’s #1902, but is from the root word Strong’s #1897 which means imagination. Let the words of my mouth and the imaginations of my heart be acceptable in thy sight. What we imagine in our heart will come to pass in our lives. This is why David wanted his imagination to be acceptable to God; he wants his life to be acceptable to God and he knew what was in his heart would define and detail what his life would look like. In Proverbs we read a similar (something Solomon learned from his father David) truth. “For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he: Eat and drink, saith he to thee; but his heart is not with thee.” (Proverbs 23:7) In the Greek the words, “as he thinketh in his heart” is translated as a gate operates or opens. Our heart is the gate (the gate is also a place of decision all throughout the Bible) and whatsoever we open our gate to and allow behind we shall be that. So if we open to the things of the world we shall be that. But if we open to the things of God we will be that. And if our imaginations or meditations are of God then we shall be those things God spoke to us those things we have allowed behind our heart gate and we will not be moved. Abraham knew something about hope, “(As it is written, I have made thee a father of many nations,) before him whom he believed, even God, who quickeneth the dead, and calleth those things which be not as though they were. 18Who against hope believed in hope, that he might become the father of many nations, according to that which was spoken, So shall thy seed be.” (Romans 4:17-18) I wonder what kept him going until he saw the promise of God’s word? “Who against hope believed in hope.” What kept this hope alive in him? Every time he went outside and looked at the night shy and saw the stars, “And, behold, the word of the LORD came unto him, saying, This shall not be thine heir; but he that shall come forth out of thine own bowels shall be thine heir. 5And he brought him forth abroad, and said, Look now toward heaven, and tell the stars, if thou be able to number them: and he said unto him, So shall thy seed be. 6And he believed in the LORD; and he counted it to him for righteousness.” (Genesis 15:4-6) or every time he stepped in the sand “That in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea shore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies; 18And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice.” (Genesis 22:17-18) God’s word came back to him stronger and fuller and like Mary he pondered these words in his heart. The Apostle Paul too knew of hope and of hopelessness. In the 27 Chapter of Acts we find Paul in one of these seemingly hopeless situation, “Which when they had taken up, they used helps, undergirding the ship; and, fearing lest they should fall into the quicksands, strake sail, and so were driven. 18And we being exceedingly tossed with a tempest, the next day they lightened the ship; 19And the third day we cast out with our own hands the tackling of the ship. 20And when neither sun nor stars in many days appeared, and no small tempest lay on us, all hope that we should be saved was then taken away.” (Acts 27:17-20) Many people and yes many Christians today have allowed troubles and life’s many situation and circumstances to destroy the hope in their lives, leaving them like the 200+ folks of the ship with Paul to say, “all hope that we should be saved was then taken away.” If this is you my friend take heart and look to the middle word “hope.” It is not “faith” or “love” you need now it is “hope” because only hope can keep us going until the battle is over and the victory is won knowing the victory comes when we do the will of God now that is hope. Written by David Stahl