Everyday Prayers for FaithSample

God Faithfully Gives Hope

Hope is a word that has thrown me for many years. I would read about hope in Scripture, but it didn’t match my twenty-first century English definition of hope. We throw this word around a great deal: I hope my team wins the game…I hope my kids don’t fuss about the Brussels sprouts…I hope I get the job…

This hope has the potential for various outcomes. It’s my way of saying what I want to happen while acknowledging that it may not happen. So when I read about putting hope in God, or the fact that my hope in God is secure, I was confused. Hope isn’t something sure in today’s world. So what is this sure hope that God gives?

Hope in the ancient world meant something much deeper than our understanding of it today. Hope was synonymous with trust. In fact, you can replace the word hope with trust in most verses. This gives us a clearer picture of the hope that God faithfully gives us.

In Hebrews 6, the author uses the example of God’s covenant with Abraham, where He promised to make Abraham a great nation, to convey the idea of this sure hope we have in Him.

God made an oath to confirm the covenant He had made with Abraham, and since God is unchangeable and His character is unchangeable, the promise is unchangeable. The promise stands because God cannot lie. The book of Hebrews is written to Jewish believers who are not only facing persecution from the government, but also being cast out of synagogues and even their own families for believing in Jesus. Their life circumstances are causing them to question their faith, but the author of Hebrews writes to encourage them to hold fast to the hope set before them. God is sure; therefore, He gives a hope that is sure and steadfast: Jesus.

The curtain that divided the people from God’s presence tore in two when Jesus breathed His last on the cross. Now we have access to God Himself. This is the hope that anchors our souls.

Prayer

You are the God who faithfully gives hope. You are trustworthy and true, so I know I can put my full hope, my full trust, my full confidence, and my full faith in You. Hope in You will never lead to shame. When the storms threaten to throw my faith off course, help me remember to drop anchor, remaining sure and steadfast as I trust in You.