The essence of hope is built upon faith. Without faith there can be no hope. Faith allows us to reap the benefits of what hope promises and rest in the assurances hope holds.

Hope is not merely wishing for something to happen. Hope is not to be equated with buying a lottery ticket and “hoping” to win the jackpot. Hope is not a question but rather an answer.

Hope is the anchor of our souls just as trust and faith is the rudder. Hope allows us to stand firm in our convictions and remain faithful to God and His Word no matter what happens around us and to us.

Hope is simply the next chapter that we eagerly anticipate. Hope is simply the next hour we must wait to see happening. Hope is not “IF” but rather “WHEN”.

Hope is an established reality, but instead of being in the here and now, it is in the future. Hope is as real as the past and as pertinent as the present.

As Christians, our hope involves numerous events that all lie in the future. Although we know much of WHAT this involves, we know very little about WHEN it will happen.

Ultimately, our hope is that at some point in the future, we will abide with our God forever more in a state of absolute perfection, light and love. Our hope is based on the Word of God and nothing less.

Now we see through a glass darkly, but there is a day coming when we will see our Lord and Savior face to face. Now we can only read about how great our God is, but soon we will experience it.

In this life we must endure pain, pressure, sadness, anxiety, bitterness, anger, depression and a whole host of other maladies associated with the flesh. In the future we are assured that we will have a new body fashioned like unto Jesus’ resurrected body and abide with Him in an eternal state of absolute perfection where there is no more pain, sadness, suffering or death.

Without our hope, there is no way to escape the cruel grief associated with death. Without hope, there is no way to bounce back from failure, rebound from a beating or stand up after being repeatedly knocked down. Hope allows us to endure hardship, rejoice in suffering and remain peaceful in the midst of the storm because we know what is coming.

Most people do not want to know how the book or movie ends, but thankfully we do know how the story of our lives as Christians concludes. We know that at a time appointed by the Father, the Lord Jesus Christ will return to take us home. We know that forever and ever we will be with our Lord and with our God. We know that the sufferings of this present time and not worthy to be compared with the glory that awaits us.

Without hope we are the most foolish and miserable people on earth. With hope we should be the wisest and most joyful people alive. While those around us slowly watch their lives slip away into the darkness of doubt and fear; we rejoice with great expectation for what lies ahead in the final chapter of this Book of Life.

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