Hope: the state of feeling that what one wants will or might happen; to want something to happen or to be true.
Longing for something better in the future. It seems to be integrated into our daily lives.
I hope my old car will last until my new car arrives.
I hope I can join my family on their trip to Paris.
I hope the results of my medical tests will be good.
The waves of my recent longings. They’re based on my feelings, wishes, even dreams. But there’s no guarantee the circumstances I desire will come to pass. I have no control, no power over them. Their outcomes are seemingly capricious. My hopes often disappoint. You can’t hold onto waves.
But we are not left hopeless! We’re given another kind of hope by our Creator as evidenced throughout His Word.
The Hebrew Word for hope in the OT is tikvah. It means an expectation, a strong expression of faith. It is related to the root word, kavah, which means to bind together and conveys the image of a rope. The Greek word, elpis, in the NT means expectation, trust, and confidence. It comes from the root, elpo, meaning to anticipate (with pleasure) and to welcome.
The Bible’s message is that we can have assurance that what God has promised is true and we can expect it to come to pass. This kind of hope is not powerless nor capricious. It does not disappoint. Rather, it anchors our soul (Heb 6:19) because its power lies not with the one who hopes, but upon the One whom hope is based.
This hope of a secure mooring is dependent on God’s own Son, Jesus Christ, our Living Hope. He is real. His promises are true, the greatest being our salvation. Their strength depends on His faithfulness. When we bind ourselves to Him and hold fast to His rope of rescue, we inherit all of His good plans for us (Jer 29:11).
Our journey through life will bring many changes and storms, but God’s gift of Hope steadies us through it all and assures us safe passage to our ultimate destination - eternal life with the Lover of our soul. Rather than grasping the waves of our wishful thinking, let us hold fast to His anchor. Let us hold fast to Him!
Living Hope. Eternal Hope. Blessed Hope.
Yes, we welcome and anticipate it with pleasure!
- Kathi Fritz (a hope filled member of the Crown of Beauty community)