Our Magnificent God Of...Muestra

The God of Hope

Romans 15:12-13, “And again Isaiah says, "The root of Jesse will come, even he who arises to rule the Gentiles; in him will the Gentiles hope." May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.”

In the Bible hope is not a wish, as we often use the word. We hope for many things, but often don’t really expect to receive them or experience them. Biblical hope is a vision or expectancy based on who God is, which makes it a certainty. Romans 4:18, “Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many nations, just as it had been said to him, “So shall your offspring be.”

Hebrews 11:1 says it this way, “Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.” Peter even calls our hope “alive”! 1 Peter 1:3, “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.”

Romans 8:24-25 says, “For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what they already have? But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.” Hope in God has substance, and that substance is God Himself. It is certain as Hebrews 6:19 declares, “We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure.”

Our life in Christ is vibrant because it rests on our great God of hope – who holds out such an exciting future that we can hardly wait to be in His physical presence forever.

Reflection: How easy is it for you to trust in this magnificent God of glory, endurance, encouragement and hope; who spends His time encouraging us to endure, and holds before us a wonderful hope?