Hope

To trust in, wait for, look for, or desire something or someone; or to expect something beneficial in the future  

-Baker’s Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology

“but those who 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 be faint.                                                               Isaiah 40:31

 There are multiple ways to look at the concept of hope. The definition above conveys several of those aspects of hope. It is one thing to “wait for” an event with anticipation. It is quite another to trust in that event happening. Then there is the concept of expecting something beneficial, as opposed to wishing that something bad does NOT happen.

All these concepts seem to be embodied in the word “hope”. All of them are true depending on how we use the word.

I like to think that hope is more about a mindset than just a fleeting variable of the moment.

A mindset of hope is based upon our belief in God’s provision and love for us. In that sense, hope is more like the “trust in” part of the definition above.

Isaiah wrote that “those who 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 be faint”

So, we see that hope is not just a desire, but it is our source of energy, no matter the circumstances we face.

Prayer: Father, you have given us hope, no matter the circumstances. Thank you for this lifeline of how to look at the world, Amen.