Being Filled with Hope! 2

“Sustain me as You promised, that I may live; let me not be ashamed of my hope.” Psalm 119:116

“Hope” as a word has its uniqueness and the meaning has a positive connotation. It is a word that is alight with the radiance of futurity; in it, there are sounds of prophetic music of good times coming. Hope is a composite of desire and faith. Desire is the impulsion that sets all things in motion; it is the engine of the will. Faith is the purifying energy that sustains hope in the face of difficulties and disappointments. It is the light that pierces the darkness of doubt. Together, desire and faith make hope an unconquerable power. That is why Hebrews 11:1 says, “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.”

According to Exodus, the Israelites were enslaved in Egypt thousands of years ago. They are brutally exploited, and no one seems to care. But then Moses comes along. He tells the Israelites about their God, who is powerful and compassionate. This God, Moses says, will rescue the Israelites from Egypt and take them to the promised land. The Israelites are unsure what to make of Moses’ message because they have been through so much pain and suffering. Finally, however, they decide to trust Moses and his God.

Romans 15:4 says, “For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.”

And sure enough, God does rescue the Israelites from Egypt. He leads them through the Red Sea and into the promised land. God gives them a breakthrough and frees them from slavery because they were filled with hope, knowing fully well about God’s nature that Moses told them, and he did so even to the extent of erasing their captors as a nation. So if that God we serve can deliver in the worst-case scenario, He will deliver you as well. That is why in Luke 18:1, Jesus encouraged us to pray at all times and not lose heart. In other words, we should be filled with hope for our future.

We need hope because it is the motivating force that sustains us in difficult times. It gives us the courage to continue in the face of disappointment and sorrow. Hope is the assurance that good times will come. It is the light at the end of the tunnel that guides us through the darkness. Of course, you may be hard-pressed on all sides, but remember you are not crushed; You may be perplexed, but do not allow yourself to remain in despair (2 Corinthians 4:8). May we always have hope in God, and may that hope never disappoint us in Jesus’ name. Amen. Romans 5:5 says, “Hope does not put us to shame because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.”

Prayer:
1. Oh Lord, fill me with hope, and I will be filled with joy and peace.
2. From Romans 15:13, I pray for you that the God of hope fills you with all joy and peace in believing so that by the power of the Holy Spirit, you may abound in hope in Jesus’ name. Amen