The oxford dictionary defines hope as;
A feeling of expectation and desire for a particular thing to happen.
The bible define hope in various way;
Hope is the object of our faith and faith is the ground of our hope, they are both connected.
1 Cor. 13:13
"And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love."
Titus 1:2; 3:7
"In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began"
"so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life."
1 Thes. 5:8
"But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, putting on faith and love as a breastplate, and the hope of salvation as a helmet."
Rom. 8:24-25
"For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what they already have?
25 But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently"
Acts 23:6
Then Paul, knowing that some of them were Sadducees and the others Pharisees, called out in the Sanhedrin, “My brothers, I am a Pharisee, descended from Pharisees. I stand on trial because of the hope of the resurrection of the dead.”
Col. 1:23
"if you continue in your faith, established and firm, and do not move from the hope held out in the gospel. This is the gospel that you heard and that has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven, and of which I, Paul, have become a servant."
Eph. 1:18; 4:4
"I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people"
"There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called;"
It is important in light of the fact that hope never frustrates. Optimism fails, yet hope does not! We have such need, in these times which seem dim, in which we now and again feel muddled at the Evil and violence which encompasses us, at the misery of such a significant number of people.
We require hope! We feel disoriented and
even demoralized, on the grounds that we have no power of our own and it appears this obscurity will never end.
We should not give hope a chance to relinquish us, since God, with his love, walks with us.
He walks with us and holds our hands. God does not abandon us to ourselves. The Master Jesus has vanquished evil and has opened the way of life for us.
it is critical to think about hope.let us enable the Lord to teach us what it means to hope. In the words in the scriptures starting with the Prophet Isaiah, the colossal Prophet of advent
In the second part of his book,isaiah addresses the people, with a message of comfort
Isaiah 40:1-5
1 Comfort, comfort my people, says your God.
2 Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and proclaim to her that her hard service has been completed,
that her sin has been paid for,
that she has received from the Lord’s hand
double for all her sins.
3 A voice of one calling:
“In the wilderness prepare the way for the Lord;
make straight in the desert
a highway for our God.
4 Every valley shall be raised up,
every mountain and hill made low;
the rough ground shall become level,
the rugged places a plain.
5 And the glory of the Lord will be revealed,
and all people will see it together.
For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”
God the Father comforts us by raising up comforters whom he asks to encourage the general population, his children, by spread the information that the tribulations and distress has come to an end and sins have been forgiven. This is what heals the distressed and frightful heart. This is the reason the Prophet inquires them to be prepared for the Lord,to get his gifts and his salvation.
Comfort starts with the chance to walk on God's way, a new path, made straight and acceptable, a path prepared in the dessert, in order to make it possible to cross it and come back to the homeland of heaven.setting up that path implies setting up a method for salvation and freedom from every obstacle and impediment.
The Exile from Babylon was a loaded crossroads ever in the history of isreal when the people had lost everything. Their land, opportunity, pride, and even trust in God. They felt abandoned and hopeless. Rather, notwithstanding, there is the Prophet's appeal which revives the heart to confidence. The dessert is a place in which it is difficult to live, however, there, one would now be able to walk keeping in mind the end goal to return not only to their land, but back to God, and back to trusting and hoping.
At the point when we are in darkness and difficulty, we don't smile, and it is decisively hope which shows us to smile with a specific goal to discover the way that prompts God. One of the primary things that happens to individuals who separate themselves from God is that they are people who are unhappy. Their smile is absent! Just hope brings about happiness; it is the hopeful smile in the desire of discovering God.
Life is like a dessert, it is difficult to walk in life, however if we confide in God it can end up to be a beautiful walk through life, so never lose hope, simply keep on believing, dependably, disregarding everything. When were younger, despite the fact that we have numerous issues and numerous difficulties,we were still happy from inside, in light of the fact that we see hope in front of us: a child is hope!
What's more, along these lines we should have the capacity to perceive in life the method for hope which drives us to discover God, He will influence us to be happy, he will give us everything!
