Scripture: Jeremiah 29:11; Romans 8:24-25; 15:4-13; Isaiah 11:1-10; 40:3-5, 9-11, 18-20, 28-31; Hebrews 11:1; Psalms 39:6-7; 130:5-6a; Micah 7:7; 1 Peter 1:3

Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.

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 (a positive, confident expectation of good to come!).

Romans 15:4 For whatever was written in the past (His Word) was written for our instruction, so that we may have hope through endurance and through the encouragement from the Scriptures. 5 Now may the God who gives endurance and encouragement allow you to live in harmony with one another, according to the command of Christ Jesus, 6 so that you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ with a united mind and voice. 7 Therefore accept one another, just as the Messiah also accepted you, to the glory of God. 8 For I say that the Messiah became a servant of the circumcised on behalf of God's truth, to confirm the promises to the fathers, 9 and so that Gentiles may glorify God for His mercy. As it is written: Therefore I will praise You among the Gentiles, and I will sing psalms to Your name. 10 Again it says: Rejoice, you Gentiles, with His people! 11 And again: Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles; all the peoples should praise Him! 12 And again, Isaiah says: The root of Jesse will appear, the One who rises to rule the Gentiles; the Gentiles will hope in Him. 13 Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you believe in Him so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Isaiah 11:1 Then a shoot will grow from the stump of Jesse, and a branch from his roots will bear fruit. 2 The Spirit of the LORD will rest on Him-- a Spirit of wisdom and understanding, a Spirit of counsel and strength, a Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD. 3 His delight will be in the fear of the LORD. He will not judge by what He sees with His eyes (on the fleshly surface), He will not execute justice by what He hears with His ears (airborne of the temporal nature of the flesh), 4 but He will judge the poor righteously (according to His righteousness in us) and execute justice for the oppressed of the land (children of His, held in sin’s sway). He will strike the land with discipline from His mouth (His Word, which does not return void), and He will kill the wicked (put down, vanquish) with a command from His lips. 5 Righteousness will be a belt around His loins; faithfulness will be a belt around His waist. 6 The wolf will live with the lamb, and the leopard will lie down with the goat. The calf, the young lion, and the fatling will be together, and a child will lead them (so safe and simple the task at that moment). 7 The cow and the bear will graze, their young ones will lie down together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox (a new diet based on a transformed appetite). 8 An infant will play beside the cobra's pit, and a toddler will put his hand into a snake's den. 9 None will harm or destroy another on My entire holy mountain, for the land will be as full of the knowledge of the LORD as the sea is filled with water. 10 On that day the root of Jesse will stand as a banner for the peoples. The nations will seek Him, and His resting place will be glorious.

Isaiah 40:3 A voice of one crying out: Prepare the way of the LORD in the wilderness; make a straight highway for our God in the desert. 4 Every valley will be lifted up, and every mountain and hill will be leveled; the uneven ground will become smooth and the rough places, a plain. 5 And the glory of the LORD will appear, and all humanity together will see it, for the mouth of the LORD has spoken (His Word) … 9 Zion, herald of good news, go up on a high mountain. Jerusalem, herald of good news, raise your voice loudly. Raise it, do not be afraid! Say to the cities of Judah, "Here is your God!" 10 See, the Lord GOD comes with strength, and His power establishes His rule. His reward is with Him, and His gifts accompany Him. 11 He protects His flock like a shepherd; He gathers the lambs in His arms and carries them in the fold of His garment. He gently leads those that are nursing… 18 Who will you compare God with? What likeness will you compare Him to? 19 To an idol?-- something that a smelter casts, and a metalworker plates with gold and makes silver welds for it? 20 To one who shapes a pedestal, choosing wood that does not rot? He looks for a skilled craftsman to set up an idol that will not fall over... 28 Do you not know? Have you not heard? Yahweh is the everlasting God, the Creator of the whole earth. He never grows faint or weary; there is no limit to His understanding. 29 He gives strength to the weary and strengthens the powerless. 30 Youths may faint and grow weary, and young men stumble and fall, 31 but those who trust (hope) in the LORD will renew their strength; they will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary; they will walk and not faint.

Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.

Psalm 39:6 "Certainly, man walks about like a mere shadow. Indeed, they frantically rush around in vain, gathering possessions without knowing who will get them. 7 Now, Lord, what do I wait for? My hope is in You.

Psalm 130:5 I wait for Yahweh; I wait and put my hope in His Word. 6a I wait for the Lord more than watchmen for the morning—

Micah 7:7 But as for me, I watch (expectantly looking) in hope (faithfully confident) for the LORD, I wait (positively, patiently) for God my Savior; my God will hear me.

1 Peter 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to His great mercy, He has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.