It certainly appears that the world in which we live is getting darker. However, We need to be selective about the reports we listen to because they move us at a heart level. These things affect our hope, which in turn affects our lives. The world may be getting darker, but the Kingdom of God is getting lighter! Regardless of what is happening in the natural, you can have an unshakeable joy and hope in the Lord. Hope is the power twin of faith, and it is a vital ingredient to receiving all the good things God has in store for us. So, it’s time to get your hopes up!
Hope in the Lord
The world describes hope as “wishful thinking,” which is very weak. There is no guarantee behind what people “hope” for. For example, “I hope it will be a sunny day for the picnic.” Or, “I hope Susan will be at the party!” Even, “I really hope my boss gives me a raise this year.” There’s no power behind that type of hope. It is simply wishing that an event might happen. This kind of hope implies that everything is just up to chance, or good luck. However, the biblical definition of hope is “a confident expectation of good.” As a believer, you now have, “Christ in you, the hope of glory” (Colossians 1:27). This type of hope has power! It is a hope grounded in the promises found in the Word of God. We can have a confident expectation of good because God inside of us loves us and plans for good. For I know the plans that I have for you, says the Lord, plans for peace and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. God has planned something good for your life! He has planned for you to prosper, to walk in health, and to live a long, fulfilled life. He hasn’t made these good plans for your life without providing everything you will need to walk them out. We have a supernatural deposit on the inside of us of power, authority, ability, and strength. Notice that He has made plans for peace, which is the Hebrew word shalom. This word means completeness, wholeness, soundness, welfare, prosperity, safety, well-being, and security! Even in the darkest of times, Christians should be the most hopeful people on the planet! Our future is secure as long as we put our hope in the Lord.Forming the Imagination
If you look at the news, the economy, or your government, all you see is the negative. Sometimes, the world has a way of taking a positive story and twisting it to bring fear instead of hope! Fear sells, so this is most often what is broadcast. Unfortunately, as we allow this type of information to penetrate our hearts, our imaginations form a picture of the world that reflects this negativity. If your mind has begun to paint a picture of doom and gloom, this will damage your hope and ability to believe God for good. When our daughter, Hannah, was terminally ill, the situation looked hopeless. All the reports we received from the doctors were that Hannah was going to die! However, the Word of God told us, “Get your hopes up!” It was painting a different picture on the inside of us. We started to read the truth in the Word that God wanted Hannah healed. Then God gave Carlie three pictures of Hannah that built our hope in the Lord. The first was of Hannah riding a red tricycle. Then Carlie saw herself holding Hannah’s hand, walking her into her first day of school. The third picture the Lord gave was of Ashley walking Hannah down the aisle on her wedding day. These images caused a fountain of hope to rise and overflow in our hearts! The hope that we had in the Lord, based on the Word of God and those visions, drove us to pursue Hannah’s healing. We formed an imagination built around faith rather than the reports of the doctors. Hannah was supernaturally healed, and every single one of those visions have now come to pass! Hannah is perfectly healthy today because of hope in the Lord and a godly imagination.Hope is the Spark of Faith
If faith is the furnace, hope is the pilot light! Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. Faith is tangible, there is evidence associated with it. Faith gives substance to the very thing we hoped for. If there isn’t anything you are hoping for, there isn’t anything for faith to bring substance to! You must place your hope on something so your faith can get to work! For we were saved in this hope, but hope that is seen is not hope; for why does one still hope for what he sees? Hope isn’t tangible. It takes place on the inside as an expectation for good. Being sparked by hope, faith moves us to action and begins its work to bring what is hoped for into the physical realm. No promise of God faith receives hasn’t first been hoped for. Biblical hope isn’t just wishful thinking. Hope is confident and bold, not moved by what is seen or experienced in the natural realm. For example, the housing market here in Colorado is out of this world! Many would call it a housing “crisis” due to the overwhelmingly high prices. Someone with natural “hope” might say, “Wow, I hope the prices drop so we can afford a house.” Biblical hope says, “I am confident that God is bringing me across the perfect house. It doesn’t matter what the housing market says, I know God has good for me, so I am hopeful that the house I will find will be perfect for me and my family, at just the right price!” Biblical hope doesn’t let the natural circumstances dissuade us from sparking our faith to believe for the impossible! So, get your hopes up and begin to expect good!
Hope: The Spark of Your Faith
Do you struggle to keep believing while in difficult circumstances? Your faith needs a spark!
In this series, Ashley and Carlie will teach you how to ignite your faith through the supernatural hope God gives to all His children. Discover the power of hope and begin to expect the good that God has in store for you.