The hope that lies within me: what is it and where can YOU get some?

Hope. That is a wonderful concept to dwell on, or is it a wonderful reality to depend on? For me, and many others, it’s the latter. 

What exactly is hope? As a noun, dictionary.com defines it this way: a person or thing in which expectations are centered. As a verb, the same source defines it as: to believe, desire, or trust. Either way, it has a personal significance and we all experience it in some fashion. It seems logical that we would prefer to place our hope in something that is real and based in truth rather than something that is designed to simply make us feel good. Ultimately, the feel good remedy is no remedy at all but rather a facade that offers a short lived experience which places us in a pretend world of lies. And, living a lie doesn’t enable us to leave a legacy or offer true hope. 

Sometimes, people like to place their hope in other people or events. Personally, I think it’s fine to look forward to events, and it's virtuous to hope for good things to happen to people, but is that the kind of hope we should put our faith and trust in or is it actually a wish? Hope and wish are similar at best, but different in principle. If your child’s life depended on other people all the time, wouldn’t you be a bit nervous? I mean, at some point, people fail, then what?

Here’s the bottom line. Hope is a wonderful and necessary aspect of our human existence, designed by our creator to provide assurance of our future through His promises to us. It may not be a perfect definition but it’s mine and I’m running with it. I “hope” (more like: pray) that you accept it too.

So this is how I view hope personally: Hope must be bigger than and beyond me otherwise it would be both dependent on & about me which would be a big burden to bear in my imperfection. Fortunately, there is one whom I and we can depend on, one who never changes, one who has made promises that we can build our lives around, and one who we can pass on as a legacy to our loved ones. My hope lies in the truth & promises of God. 

Below are a few (of hundreds) key bible verses that are significant promises in which God gives me hope: 

John 3:16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. (that’s the good news)

John 3:17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. (more good news)

John 3:18 “He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. (you have a choice)

In revelation 2 & 3, Jesus makes a promise to those who overcome. This promise is made 7 times in these 2 chapters alone. In Rev. 2:7, Jesus says: “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes I will give to eat from the tree of life, which is in the midst of the Paradise of God.”’ (reward for your efforts done in His name)

Rev. 20:15 And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire. (not my words, His)

Rev. 21:4 And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.”
(Can you imagine a life that is eternal without any sadness, pain, problems, or anything negative?)