Hope is the Word
Hope.
It has always seemed like such an ephemeral concept to me, like wishful thinking. As someone who likes to take action, hope seemed too pie-in-the-sky.
The Lord has changed my thinking, and my heart, on this idea of hope.
I have chosen “one word” to represent the year for the past few years. It might be more accurate to say that a word has chosen me, since they come to me after prayer and pondering.
I started thinking about the word for 2015 well over a month ago. I was stuck. My word for 2014, Purpose, had made an impact. It kept me focused, centered on the work at hand and the road ahead. Without a sense of God-given purpose, we are all adrift and life loses any depth of meaning. It is essential.
So how do I follow that up this year? What else could be meaningful in my spiritual journey right here and now? How could I help others with what I had learned and what I am learning?
Hope.
That word came to me over and over again, but I preferred to ignore it. I don’t want hope to be my word this year. I don’t know what to do with that. I need something I can act on, something I can do and easily explain. I had lots of good arguments for why I shouldn’t choose hope for my one word.
Hope.
What does it mean? Where does it come from? How can it help others? That’s when the answers came to me more quickly than I could even write them down.
Hope is not a wisp or a vapor of wishful thinking.
Hope is strong.
Hope is steadfast.
Hope is rock solid. In fact, it’s an anchor.
Because God wanted to make the unchanging nature of his purpose very clear to the heirs of what was promised, he confirmed it with an oath. 18 God did this so that, by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled to take hold of the hope set before us may be greatly encouraged. 19 We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure.
~ Hebrews 6:17-19
It does not depend on me doing something. It is a result of the truth of God’s promises. It depends solely on Him, which is something I have to remember over and over again. Too often I get caught up in my own to-do list of the moment and forget that He has already done it all — all that matters — and that my hope is in Him and His strength. Why do I lose sight of that?
Hope is alive, full of joy. It is the promise of eternity.
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade.
~ 1 Peter 1:3-4
Hope is why we sing through our tears. Hope is why we share the Gospel with others. Hope is everlasting with faith and love. Hope is the evidence of Jesus in our hearts.
To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.
~ Colossians 1:27
Translated from the Greek and Hebrew words as used in the Bible, hope means a “strong and confident expectation” or certainty. It is not fleeting at all. It is eternal.
For in hope we have been saved, but hope that is seen is not hope; for who hopes for what he already sees? 25But if we hope for what we do not see, with perseverance we wait eagerly for it.…
~ Romans 8:24-25
Hope is very much a verb of action. It requires perseverance. It is a fruit of the Spirit. It is a character trait that must be intentionally developed through the study of God’s word.
It is my prayer that the Lord will continue to show me how to put hope in action this year. I plan to share what I’m learning here and I “hope” it will be a blessing to others as well.
What is your One Word for 2015?
- Christmas Unit Study Ideas - December 23, 2024
- Woodland Birds Christmas Ornament - December 21, 2024
- Christmas Lights Scavenger Hunt with free printable - December 18, 2024
One Comment