Divine Hope

Usually when people talk about hoping in something, it often sounds like mere wishful thinking or something that they are not entirely sure of. Thus, in the world, hope has come to represent desires that almost never come to fulfillment. However, in the Bible, hope takes on a new meaning and value, and it is one of the things that are essential for our walk with God. In 1 Corinthians 13:13 Paul says: “And now these three remain: faith, hope and love,” highlighting how crucial hope is. We have heard much about faith and love, which is why I want to elaborate on hope. By the end of this post, I want you to walk away with a renewed revelation and perspective on hope.

Firstly, I want to clarify that when we talk about divine hope, it is in reference to hope that is in God and His word. In the previous blog post, I talked about God pouring His desires into our hearts as a result of living a life that seeks Him. And so, putting your hope in the desires that you have received from God is unanimous to putting your hope in His word. We can expand this a little more and say that divine hope is an anticipation for the fulfillment of the Word or desires that God has given us concerning our lives. Isaiah says 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.” (Isaiah 40:31). Other translations say, “those who wait upon the Lord”, meaning that hoping in the Lord is also synonymous to waiting, and being still, (while remaining rooted in His presence). Thus, unlike faith, hope does not require much action other than resting and fully trusting in God.

Secondly, divine hope is not vain or mere wishful thinking, it is the assurance that God will do that which He says He will do. In fact, walking in faith, essentially means taking actions in the present in order to prepare for the fulfillment of the things that you hope for. Thus, hope acts as a fuel for our faith, propelling us to start aligning our lives for what we are anticipating. This is why in Romans 15:13, Paul prays that the God of hope may fill us with all joy and peace as we trust in Him, so that we may overflow with hope, by the power of the Holy Spirit. Once we are overflowing with hope, our faith will be fueled and surely at the ordained time, we shall soar on wings like eagles. In Romans 5, Paul also writes that this hope does not put us to shame or bring us disappointment. Meaning that unlike earthly hope, divine hope carries assurance and certainty that God will fulfill His promises.

Lastly, hope is birthed through hardship, which is why oftentimes the desires we have point to a life that is void of whatever adverse challenges we may be currently facing. In Romans 5, Paul writes that “suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.” Hence, divine hope requires and is anchored in character, which is turn is birthed through the perseverance we demonstrate in trials.

Character is not produced overnight, nor is it a fixed state of being. We are constantly being refined to a new level of character. Thus, I hope (divinely so) that you now appreciate the hope which you have in God more, because it is a reflection of your character and it is a fuel for your faith. As you go on with your life this week, I implore you to be more intentional with how you use the word “hope” and to be more sensitive to the things that God is calling you to be hopeful for. Come back to read this blog post as needed.

Stay blessed beloved of God! (#Jeremiah 29:11)