Journey With the WordSample

DAY 5: Heavenly Haven of Hope

At the end of each year, many people set resolutions for the year to come. Sometimes the resolutions include learning a new skill, prioritizing Bible study or maybe just going to the gym more! But sometimes people set single words or phrases as their intentions for the new year—they want to live out the definitions of those words.

Kristene shared about a particular word that stirred her heart:

I have always loved the word “hope.” The word represents a future with a renewed perspective. Hope connotes an outlook that is faith driven. And yet, I never stopped to think about how hope is a purposeful choice until I faced one of the most tragic accidents I’ve seen in our ministry. 

My husband is in missionary aviation training. One day we received news that one of his students died in a plane accident. We had known this young man since he was a little boy and had spent time supporting his parents, who were Bible translators. He had dreamed of being involved in Bible translation as he watched the Word of God come alive through his parents’ ministry. 

When we heard of his tragic death, we were devastated! We wept before God, trying to understand what we could cling to for hope in these moments. I had been reading in Romans the week we received the news. As I combed through Romans 5, it struck me how the apostle Paul said, “Hope will not disappoint us” (v. 5). 

With this new view, I realized that hope’s very definition encompasses an ongoing perspective. Hope is active, not circumstantial. What I learned as I read those words was that hope is an active pursuit, especially in the moments when we feel most hopeless. Ultimately, this is because the author and perfecter of our faith is also the embodiment of hope. I have seen this hope alive and active in the family so affected by this tragedy. Their hope is supernatural, a hope that will not disappoint! For each of us, as we cling to the essence of Christ, hope will be a source we can rely on, no matter what we may be going through.

Points to Ponder:

• What are some words that you love or have seen used as “resolutions”?
• What would it look like to overflow with confident hope? How might that influence your actions and words?

We hope this plan encouraged you! Read more encouraging stories, and learn about Bible translation.