Are You Behaving Hopeful or Hopeless?

I know God works all things for our good to those called according to his purpose. Romans 8:28

Do we know this to be true? Are we deep enough into our faith to truly comprehend this passage and to be reminded of this very hopeful passage daily? The above scripture is written to bring us the fullness of hope. In moments of our despair, confusion, and suffering, HE is moving behind the scenes- Job 34:20. We must not forget to walk life’s journey in faithfulness to HIS word to feel whole and secure. So this brings the question- Are you behaving hopeful or hopelessly?

What Is Hope?

Hope is a feeling of expectation and desire for something to happen. Hope is a feeling of trust. We are not able to see or touch hope. It is not tangible in this way, but let me stress that hope is one of the most critical components to a successful life’s journey here on earth. Without hope, we would not be able to live, experience peace and continue purposefully. Our missions here in this very broken and confused society are hard enough and impossible without hope. It is the very backbone of the Christian faith. A pillar to our soul knowing God our father sees everything and has us and everything around us under control. Hope allows and instructs us to rely on and let God be God. It assists us in removing the power our flesh so desires to hold on to, knowing God has the very best intentions and plans for every one of us.

Many scriptures in the Bible speak about hope.

Let me give you just several for reference:

For I know my plans for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not harm you, plans to give you hope and a future- Jeremiah 29:11 This scripture is quite relieving to my soul. Knowing God has a plan for me, not just any intent to prosper and not harm me. This exudes hope into our souls and provides comfort in despair in this unknown life journey.

But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary; they will walk and not be faint- Isaiah 40:31 . This scripture is a critical daily promise and reminder. If I do not refresh upon this scripture, it speaks to what will happen- we will grow weak, weary, and faint. Sisters, look around you. Look at society forgetting to place God first and, by doing so, trying to control things and intentionally or not bringing havoc into their lives and the lives of others. How weary and faithless are the broken without hope restored?

May the God of hope fill you with joy and peace as you trust in him so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit- Romans 15:13 Our God is the God of hope! Faith and hope coincide very beautifully through our relationships with Jesus. Through dedication and trust, we can grab and hold onto hope and place this hope deep down inside our souls for strength and spiritual and emotional provision. This passage says, 'FILL you with Joy and Peace' these are two precious gifts money can’t buy. It says, 'So you may OVERFLOW with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.' What we must do to receive this is TRUST. First, TRUST in faithfulness, then expects in HOPE.

Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see- Hebrews11:1 We are all looking for enthusiasm, are we not? If we look to society for this approval and trust, we will always be let down. The community does not understand this true confidence needed to grasp who and how wonderfully we have been created to be. Only through faith can we receive such building up of confidence in our hope and ASSURANCE about what we do not see. I love the word assurance. How solid of a promise is this word used? It exudes hope through faithfulness and trust.

The New Testament is a blanket of hope to the believer. Jesus died for the sins of this world to make us clean through repentance, forgiveness, and cleansing. We must have all faith in Christ and, as we continue down our Christian journey, build a personal relationship with Christ Jesus. We will exude all hope through Christ Jesus, who is our rock, shield, and all the many things the Bible says he is to us.