What is hope?

What is hope?
It's a feeling that you have that something you desire will happen or you will achieve or that  a situation will turn out for the best. To believe... to desire...to have expectations...


Have you ever hoped for anything? Yes, I know that's a silly question! Everybody has hoped for all kinds of different things their entire lives, from being a baby and hoping to be fed and loved to being a child and hoping for a special toy for Christmas or birthday. Hoping to pass a test, or to get a date with someone you've got your eyes on... hoping your best friend will forgive you when you messed up and hoping your parents don't find out that you were out past curfew.

Hope is what keeps us going, it's what makes us get up in the morning...hope for a better day than the day before. Hope is that feeling that you desire something to happen and you believe it's going to happen because that's what we do...we hope and believe...

Romans 8:24 For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? 25. But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience


Now, I don't know about you, but I do not always hope with patience. (Patience is an entirely different matter and I'll talk on that another day.) 

Hope for what we do not see?... That's hoping there really IS a God in heaven that created me and loves me like the Bible says.  That's hoping that a surgery comes out with a success. That's hoping that the future does hold promise of a better tomorrow. That's hoping your loved one will stop doing drugs. That's hoping your spouse will put God first in their lives. All these things we can not see with our eyes, yet we hope in them. Just because we can't see them, doesn't mean they aren't real or that they aren't important. We can't see God, but He exists.



Psalm 39:7 And now, O Lord, for what do I wait?  My hope is in you.

There is NO better place to be!! No better place to put your hope then in your God above! If you have all your hope in God how can you go wrong? God loves you more than anyone in this world. He alone has your best interests at heart. God of all people can be trusted with anything and everything. I place ALL of my hope in Him alone!


Psalm 71:14  But I will hope continually, And will praise thee yet more and more.
Hope continually!? And praise?.. Exactly!! Praising God during the good times and the bad. I praise God no matter what my circumstances are. Everyday I praise God. And if I put all my hope in God, then that covers everything I could possibly need, because my Papa in heaven has my back. He wants what's best for me and will provide for all my needs.


Psalm 119:114  You are my refuge and my shield;  your word is my source of hope.
Ahhh.... my refuge and my shield... I take comfort and shelter in my Father. If I ever feel scared or uncertain about my future, I just pray (talk) to my Papa... He IS my refuge and where I seek comfort. I know that He will protect me. And I know that I can read His word (Bible) and believe and that His word gives me hope for my future. My future is not of this Earth. My future is with Him in heaven. That is the hope of my heart.


Proverbs 13:12 Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but when the desire is fulfilled, it is a tree of life.
When we have to wait for what we hope for that is hard (understatement)... I mean...wait?!... seriously?
Why can we not have what we want when we want it?!... You know, like Burger King "Have it your way at Burger King" (I've got those song lyrics going through my head right now, and you do too if you grew up in the 80's like I did).  Who wants to wait?... but... that saying "all good things come to those that wait". God wants us to wait. God wants us to put ALL of our trust and hope in Him alone! And when we do... the payoff is amazing! And definitely worth the wait!

When I have a hard time with hoping for something that seems like I may never get it I listen to this song "Satisfy", because its asking God to come and satisfy my needs showing me that He is all I need. And when I  look at God as being all that I need, then the desire and hope to have something else goes away.
And in that moment...of calling out to God to satisfy my needs, I find the most amazing peace of spirit!
Peace of spirit so intense that it would sell on the streets! If you don't have a clue as to what I am referring to, don't fret... once upon a time, I didn't either. If you are reading this and that is you questioning and wondering... please feel free to email me and share so that I can pray for you. Or share with you how you can experience God's amazing peace of spirit. Because no one should go through life being "left out"!



Tenth Avenue North
"Satisfy" lyrics
(google it since I can't play it here)
 
 
 
Before the sun has touched the sky


Colors bursting from Your eyes

Before the flood of the morning light

Before the earth has felt Your heat

Before I stand up to my feet

Before I begin to feel this weak



Satisfy me Lord, oh oh

Satisfy me Lord, oh oh

I'm begging You, to help me see

You're all I want, You're all I need

Oh, satisfy me Lord



When the day is closing in

Like the stars in the night I am falling

Into the pull of the earth and it's affection

In me, oh lord, can you create

A pure heart cuz I'm afraid

That I just might run back to the things I hate



Satisfy me Lord, oh oh

Satisfy me Lord, oh oh

Yeah, I'm begging You, to help me see

You're all I want, You're all I need

Oh, satisfy me Lord



You're beautiful, You're beautiful

You're more than all this world can give

You're beautiful, You're beautiful

You're love is all I need to live

You're beautiful, You're beautiful

You're more than all this world can give

You're beautiful, more beautiful

You're love is all I need to live