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Our Hope

By Steve Giddens

PRAYER:

God, help me clearly see the ways I am placing my hope in circumstances instead of in you. 

READING:

The writer of Hebrews penned these words to followers of Jesus:

Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep his promise. Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works. And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near. Hebrews 10:23–25 (NLT) 

Hope is a powerful force—not the type of hope that’s a wish, as in: I hope I get a bicycle for Christmas. The type of hope the writer of Hebrews is referring to is hope like an anchor that grounds us amid life’s storms. We are told to hold tightly without wavering to hope, because God can be trusted.

Consider the anchor attached to a ship. When storms rise at sea, an anchor does its work, providing security to the ship. If you’re on the ship, all you can see is the storm, but below the water’s surface, the unseen anchor is at work.

In good times, we usually don’t have to hold tightly to hope, and we don’t typically struggle to trust God. But then the storms come. In times of trouble, we can feel tossed by waves of uncertainty. We might wonder where God is. Again, that’s why we’re told to hold tightly without wavering, for God can be trusted. Like the anchor, God’s work isn’t always visible, but we can always trust that he is at work. 

There are times when we need to be reminded that our hope is not in a what but in a who. Jesus is our hope. To hold tightly to him, we have to release whatever we are tempted to cling to—our comfort, our desires, our plans.

The writer of Hebrews also prompts us to motivate and encourage one another. You might not be experiencing a storm right now, but you likely know someone who is. Who could you encourage today? Send them an email or a text. Make plans to connect with them. Don’t put it off until tomorrow.

As followers of Jesus, we can show the world around us true hope during life’s storms, and we can encourage one another during difficult times.

REFLECTION:

Is there an area where you need to release what you’re clinging to and instead hold tightly to the hope Jesus provides? Who can you encourage today?