Boldly Hope

"We were given this hope when we were saved. (If we already have something, we don’t need to hope for it. But if we look forward to something we don’t yet have, we must wait patiently and confidently.)" Romans 8:24-25 NLT

Have you ever wondered what the word 'hope' means? In Noah Webster's New International Dictionary of the English Language is states that hope: (n.) A desire of some good, accompanied with an expectation of obtaining it, or a belief that it is obtainable; an expectation of something which is thought to be desirable; confidence; pleasing expectancy. In Easton's Bible Dictionary it states that in Romans 8:24, the word 'hope' means: It is joined to faith and love, and is opposed to seeing or possessing.

I was talking to a Christian friend the other day and she made the comment that she 'hoped' that her and her husband can pull through this tough time they are experiencing right now. And that got me thinking. I wonder if hope is like faith--you know it's there even if you don't see anything tangible--but just as with faith, it seems that you should claim it, doesn't it?

Hope is wonderful and it is there and we need it. But just to sit and say, "I hope this happens or that happens....." seems a little wrong. It seems like we should treat it like faith--state it and boldly claim it. "If it is the Lord's will, I know what I hope for will come to be." Don't you think?

Have you ever needed to have something to hope for or in? You know that you can always turn to your Father in Heaven and boldly place your hope (& faith) in Him. Just place yourself into His loving hands and He will take care of all your hopes.