hope in god essay

Yale Divinity School

Reflections

You are here, theologies of hope.

This article is a shortened adaptation of a two-part “For the Life of the World” podcast on the theme of hope that YDS Professor Miroslav Volf posted in summer 2020, produced by the Yale Center for Faith & Culture. You can listen here to podcast Part 1 and Part 2 .

Fear, more than hope, is characteristic of our time. In the late 1960s, we were optimistic about the century’s hopes for the triumph of justice and something like universal peace, but that has given way to increasing pessimism. “No future” scenarios have become plausible to us. As I write in summer 2020, the coronavirus pandemic gives the dominant shape to our anxieties. But even before the pandemic, we feared more than we hoped. We feared and continue to fear falling behind as the gap widens between the ultra-rich and the rest who are condemned to run frantically just to stay in the same place yet often cannot prevent falling behind. We fear the collapse of the ecosystem straining under the burden of our ambitions, the revenge of nature for violence we perpetrate against it. We fear loss of cultural identities as the globe shrinks, and people, driven by war, ecological devastation, and deprivation, migrate to where they can survive and thrive.

Politically, the consequence is the rise of identity politics and nationalism, both driven largely by fear. Culturally, the consequences are dystopian movies and literature, and the popularity of pessimistic philosophies. In religious thought and imagination, too, apocalyptic moods are again in vogue. Hope seems impossible; fear feels overwhelming.

A Thing With Feathers

The Apostle Paul has penned some of the most famous lines about hope ever written: “For in hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what is seen? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience” (Romans 8:24-25). Hope is a strange thing – as Emily Dickinson declares in her famous poem , it’s a “thing with feathers” perched in our soul, ready to take us on its wings to some future good. In fact, hope is a thing that has already taken us to that good with the tune that it sings. In hope – or perhaps by hope – “we were saved,” writes Apostle Paul. In hope, a future good which isn’t yet, somehow already is. A future good we cannot see, which waits in darkness, still qualifies our entire existence. We might be suffering or experiencing “hardship … distress … persecution … famine … nakedness … peril … sword … we are being killed all day long” (Romans 8:18, 35-36), and yet we have been saved and we are saved.

Interpreting the phrase “in hope we are saved,” Martin Luther suggested in his Lectures on Romans that just as love transforms the lover into the beloved, so “hope changes the one who hopes into what is hoped for.” [1] Thus, a key feature of hope is that it stretches a person into the unknown, the hidden, the darkness of unknown possibility. For Paul this can happen because God is with us – God who gives life to the dead and calls into existence things that do not exist.

Hope vs. Optimism vs. Expectation

When I hope, I expect something in the future. I cannot hope for my 18-year-old son to know how to ride a bike, because he knows that already. But I can hope for him to do well in college, for that’s where he is headed in the fall. Without expectation for the future, there can be no hope. But we don’t hope for everything we can expect in the future. We generally don’t hope for natural occurrences, such as a new day that dawns after a dark and restful night; I know , more or less, that the next day will come. But I may hope for cool breezes to freshen up a hot summer day. We reserve the term “hope” for the expectation of things that we cannot fully control or predict with a high degree of certainty. The way we generally use the word, “hope” can be roughly defined as the expectation of good things that don’t come to us as a matter of course . That’s the distinction between hope and expectation.

The God who creates out of nothing, the God who makes the dead alive, justifies hope that is otherwise unjustifiable.

In his justly famous book Theology of Hope (1964), Jürgen Moltmann, one of the greatest theologians of the second part of the 20th century, made another important distinction, that between hope and optimism. [2] The source of the distinction relates to the specific way some ancient biblical writers understand hope. Optimism, if it is justified, is based on extrapolations we make about the future based upon what we can reasonably discern to be tendencies in the present. Meteorologists observe weather patterns around the globe and release their forecasts for the next day: the day will be unseasonably warm, but in the early afternoon winds will pick up and bring some relief; now you have reason to be optimistic that the afternoon will be pleasant, perhaps you even look forward to sailing your little 12-foot sloop on three-foot swells. Or, to take another scenario, you and your spouse are healthy adults of childbearing age, you have had no trouble conceiving, and the obstetrician tells you that your pregnancy is going well; you have reason to be optimistic that you will give birth to a healthy child. The present contains the seeds of the future, and if it is well with these seeds, the future that will grow will be good as well. That’s reasonable optimism.

Hope, argued Moltmann, is different. Hope is not based on accurate extrapolation about the future from the character of the present; the hoped-for future is not born out of the present. The future good that is the object of hope is a new thing, novum , that comes in part from outside the situation. Correspondingly, hope is, in Emily Dickinson’s felicitous phrase, like a bird that flies in from outside and “perches in the soul.” Optimism in dire situations reveals an inability to understand what is going on or an unwillingness to accept it and is therefore an indication of foolishness or weakness. In contrast, hope during dire situations, hope notwithstanding the circumstances, is a sign of courage and strength.

What is the use of hope not based on evidence or reason, you may wonder? Think of the alternative. What happens when we identify hope with reasonable expectation? Facing the shocking collapse of what we had expected with good reasons, we will slump into hopelessness at the time when we need hope the most! Hope helps us identify signs of hope as signs of hope rather than just anomalies in an otherwise irreparable situation, as indicators of a new dawn rather than the last flickers of a dying light. Hope also helps us to press on with determination and courage. When every course of action by which we could reach the desired future seems destined to failure, when we cannot reasonably draw a line that would connect the terror of the present with future joy, hope remains indomitable and indestructible. When we hope, we always hope against reasonable expectations. That’s why Emily Dickinson’s bird of hope “never stops” singing – in the sore storm, in the chilliest land, on the strangest sea.

Hope Needs Endurance, Endurance Needs Hope

We are most in need of hope under an affliction and menace we cannot control, yet it is in those situations that it is most difficult for us to hold onto hope and not give ourselves over to darkness as our final state. That is where patience and endurance come in. In the same letter to the Romans, in the same passage that celebrates hope and its transformative darkness, Paul writes: “If we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience” (Romans 8:25). “Patience” is here the translation of hypomone , which is better rendered as endurance, or perhaps “patient endurance.”

Neither patience nor endurance are popular emotions or skills. Our lives are caught in a whirlwind of accelerated changes; we have little endurance for endurance, no patience with patience. Technological advances promise to give us lives of ease; having to endure anything strikes us as a defeat. And yet, when a crisis hits, we need endurance as much as we need hope. Or, more precisely, we need genuine hope, which, to the extent that it is genuine, is marked by endurance.

When the great Apostle says in Romans 8:25 that if we hope, we wait with endurance, he implies that hope generates endurance: because we hope we can endure present suffering. That was his point in the opening statement of the section on suffering in Romans 8:18: “I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory about to be revealed to us.” The hope of future glory makes present suffering bearable. But, in Romans 5:3-5, he inverts the relation between hope and endurance. There he writes, “suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope.” Now endurance helps generate hope. Putting the two texts together, Romans 8 and Romans 5, we can say: hope needs endurance and endurance needs hope; genuine endurance is marked by hope; and genuine hope is marked by endurance.

The God of Promises

More than half a century after his Theology of Hope , Jürgen Moltmann has written an essay, On Patience (2018), about two aspects of patience we find in the biblical traditions: forbearance and endurance. Writing as a 92-year-old, he begins the second paragraph of this essay on patience autobiographically:

In my youth, I learned to know “the God of hope” and loved the beginnings of a new life with new ideas. But in my old age I am learning to know “the God of patience” and stay in my place in life . [3]

Youth and old age, Moltmann goes on to say, are not about chronology, but about experiences in life and stances toward life. Hope and patience belong both to youth and to old age; they complement each other. He continues:

Without endurance, hope turns superficial and evaporates when it meets first resistances. In hope we start something new, but only endurance helps us persevere. Only tenacious endurance makes hope sustainable. We learn endurance only with the help of hope. On the other hand, when hope gets lost, endurance turns into passivity. Hope turns endurance into active passivity. In hope we affirm the pain that comes with endurance, and learn to tolerate it. [4]

Hope and endurance – neither can be truly itself without the other. And for the Apostle Paul, both our hope and our ability to endure – our enduring hope – are rooted in the character of God. Toward the end of Romans, he highlights both “the God of endurance” (or steadfastness) and “the God of hope” (Romans 15:5, 13). Those who believe in that God – the God who is the hope of Israel, the God who is the hope of Gentiles and the hope of the whole earth – are able to be steadfast and endure fear-inducing situations they cannot change and in which no good future seems to be in sight. But more than just endure. Paul, the persecuted apostle who experienced himself as “always carrying in the body the death of Jesus,” was hoping for more than just endurance from the God of hope. Toward the very end of his letter to the Christians in Rome – in the second of what looks like four endings of the letter – he writes: “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit” (Romans 15:13). In the midst of affliction, the God of hope opens us up for the possibility of joy and comprehensive well-being.

Our salvation lies in hope, but not in hope that insists on the future good it has imagined, but in hope ready to rejoice in the kind of good that actually comes our way. The God who creates out of nothing, the God who makes dead alive – the God of the original beginning of all things and the God of new beginnings – justifies hope that is otherwise unjustifiable. When that God makes a promise, we can hope.

Miroslav Volf is Henry B. Wright Professor of Theology at YDS and founding director of the Yale Center for Faith & Culture. He is the author of A Public Faith: How Followers of Christ Should Serve the Common Good (Brazos, 2011) and other books.

[1] Martin Luther, Lectures on Romans , edited by Hilton C. Oswald, volume 25 of Luther’s Works , edited by Jaroslav Pelikan and Helmut Lehmann (Concordia Publishing House, 1972), p. 364.

[2] Jürgen Moltmann, Theology of Hope: On the Ground and the Implications of a Christian Eschatology , translated by Margaret Kohl (HarperSanFrancisco, 1991).

[3] Jürgen Moltmann, Über Geduld, Barmherzigkeit und Solidarität (Gütersloher Verlagshaus, 2018), p. 13, my translation.

[4] Moltmann, pp. 13-14.

10 Reasons to Hope (When All Seems Hopeless)

When discouraging and depressing news threatens to flood the nation, the church, and the soul, we need God's help to lift up our heads, hearts, and hands. Posts like this encourage us not to fear. But once fear is cast out, we then have to build positive Christian hope in its place, a beautiful virtue and life-transforming grace that yields multiple benefits:

1. Hope moves us forwards: Christian hope is a realistic expectation of and joyful longing for future good and glory based upon the reliable word of God. The more we long for the future, the less we will yearn for the past. Hope deletes regrets and underlines expectation. It diminishes drag and increases momentum.

2. Hope energizes the present: It is worth living today because the eternal tomorrow is so much brighter. What's doomsday for most, is coronation day for us. What most dread, we desire.

3. Hope lightens our darkness: Hope does not deny nor remove the reality of dark and painful providences. However it does shine a bright light into these valleys and points to the sunrise at the end of them.

4. Hope increases faith: Faith fuels hope, but hope also fuels faith. As Hebrews 11 makes very clear, hope and faith are very closely tied together, the one enlivening the other. Without faith we cannot soar in hope, but without hope faith will limp home. The greatest believers are the greatest hopers…and vice versa.

5. Hope is infectious: Just as we can drag others down by our recriminations and moping, so we can inspire and motivate through our inspiring hoping. It not only encourages other sagging Christians but it also impacts depressed unbelievers who cannot but ask a reason for the hope they see in us (1 Pet. 3:15).

6. Hope is healing: When I counsel depressed people , one of the first things I do is try to give them hope. By definition, depression is a sense of hopelessness. Things cannot and will not get better. That's why I want to give them the hope that in the vast majority of cases, they will get better, there is a way out, and there are things that they can do to help themselves in their felt helplessness. That hope itself is a huge step towards healing.

7. Hope is practical: Hope does not mean we just sit and wait for Utopia to appear. Not at all! Hope motivates action. When we hope for better days for the church, we serve the church. When we hope for the conversion of our children, we are motivated to share the Gospel with them. When we hope for God's blessing on His Word, we listen to it much more avidly. Hope produces action.

8. Hope purifies: Whatever persecution we experience in this world, the day is coming when we will not be just called sons of God, we will be like the Son of God. This is what inspires and motivates the apostle to persevere to the end and to persevere in holiness. "And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure" (1 John 3:1-3).

9. Hope stabilizes in the storm: There are sixty-six drawings of anchors in the catacombs, the caves and tunnels that persecuted Christians hid in during the Roman persecutions. Hope was their anchor during those dark and stormy days (Heb. 6:19; 10:34). Like the anchor, hope grabs what is out of sight. As one puritan put it: "The cable of faith casts out the anchor of hope and lays hold of the steadfast rock of God's promises."

10. Hope defends: Paul also depicts hope as a defensive helmet (Eph. 6:17; 1 Thess. 5:8) that must not be taken off and laid aside until the battle is over. The helmet also points us to the area of greatest vulnerability and danger – our mind or thoughts. That's where Satan usually works to present reasons to doubt and despair. And that's why we need our minds daily renewed by the power of hope.

Get 12 Months of Tabletalk Magazine

Receive a one-year subscription to Tabletalk magazine and a thinline Bible with your donation of any amount.

God Gives Hope

Even though there are times when we may think everything seems hopeless, we probably have not seen our own situations as hopeless as what Jeremiah once described. After God had brought Nebuchadnezzar, King of Babylon, to destroy the city of Jerusalem because God’s people had forsaken him, Jeremiah vividly presented the city’s plight as his own. In the Book of Lamentations, Jeremiah said that God had made him to “walk in darkness and not in light” (3:2), had “aged his flesh and his skin” (3:4), had hedged him in so that he could not get out (4:7), had shut out his prayers (3:8), had made him to become the ridicule of all his people (3:14), had filled him with bitterness (3:15), had moved his soul far from peace (3:17), etc. He said, “My strength and my hope have perished from the Lord” (3:18). Have you ever felt such hopelessness?

But then Jeremiah said, “This I recall to my mind, therefore I have hope. Through the Lord’s mercies we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. ‘The Lord is my portion,’ says my soul, ‘therefore I hope in him!’ The Lord is good to those who wait for Him, to the soul who seeks him. It is good that one should hope and wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord” (3:21-26). Because Jeremiah believed that through the Lord’s mercies we are not consumed, and that because his compassions fail not, Jeremiah had hope. Like Jeremiah, our situations, however difficult they may be, are not hopeless, if we trust and obey God, because God is faithful in his mercy and in his compassion.

Yet, God’s goodness and mercy are often not apparent. If we cry out in despair when ungodliness all around us seems oppressive, then our feelings may be no different than those of the prophet Habakkuk. When Habakkuk observed the ungodly around him, he cried out, “O LORD, how long shall I cry, and you will not hear? Even cry out to you, “Violence!” and you will not save. Why do you show me iniquity, and cause me to see trouble? For plundering and violence are before me; there is strife, and contention arises. Therefore the law is powerless, and justice never goes forth. For the wicked surround the righteous; therefore perverse judgment proceeds” (Habakkuk 1:2-4). Are our situations ever worse than that?

Habakkuk did not doubt the goodness, mercy, or compassion of God. Rather, he wondered how long God would allow such ungodliness to continue. In the Book of Revelation, the Apostle John tells about others who asked the same question (Revelation 6:10). God answered Habakkuk, saying “Look among the nations and watch; be utterly astounded! For I will work a work in your days which you would not believe, though it were told you” (Habakkuk 1:5). Being finite, we know not what God knows, see not what he sees, nor can we anticipate his plans. But, like Habakkuk, we may wonder why the wicked often seem to prosper and the righteous often seem disadvantaged. To that question, the Lord answered that “the righteous shall live by his faith” (Habakkuk 2:4, ESV). Because Habakkuk recognized the great power and work of God (Habakkuk 3), he had hope. He concluded his prophecy by writing “Though the fig tree may not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines; though the labor of the olive may fail, and the fields yield no food; though the flock may be cut off from the fold, and there be no herd in the stalls; yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation. The Lord God is my strength; he will make my feet like deer’s feet, and he will make me walk on my high hills . . .” (Habakkuk 3:17-19). Habakkuk’s hope came from his faith that in life God would make him as sure-footed as a deer – “he will make me walk on my high hills.” When all seems to go wrong, our hope is made possible by our faith in God.

The concept of hope may be variously conveyed. To hope is to look for something with eager expectation; it is to rely on something reliable; it is trust that is grounded in faith. Biblical hope is based on God and his saving activity; it trusts God to fulfill his promises. Those who hope in God believe that what he has done in the past gives assurance that in the future he will do what he has promised. Because God had redeemed the Israelites from Egyptian bondage, preserved them in the wilderness, and led them in a successful occupation of the Land of Canaan, the Israelites had reason to hope that God would continue to be with them. Even when they sinned, those who returned to him could count on him to forgive. Through Malachi, God promised, “Return to me, and I will return to you” (Malachi 3:7). The Psalmist wrote, “Hope in the Lord; for with the Lord there is mercy, and with him is abundant redemption (Psalm 130:7).

God gives hope (Romans 15:13). In his mercy, he is steadfast like a rock that cannot be moved (Deuteronomy 32:4, 15, 18; Psalm 18:2; 62:2). When Paul was burdened beyond measure and despaired even of life itself, he said he could trust only in God who raises the dead (2 Corinthians 1:8-10). On another occasion, he wrote that “we have fixed our hope on the living God, who is the Savior of all men” (1 Timothy 4:10, NASB). Peter informed his readers that God raised Jesus “from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God” (1 Peter 1:21). Hope in God is the same as hope in Christ because “God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself” (2 Corinthians 5:19). God’s promises are fulfilled in Christ. “All the promises of God in him are Yes” (2 Corinthians 1:20). Thus, “the Lord Jesus Christ” is “our hope” (1 Timothy 1:1). “Christ in you” is “the hope of glory” (Colossians 1:27).

In hope, we Christians believe that God has acted in Christ for our salvation. We trust in the divine promises regarding the coming of Christ and our resurrection to eternal life. The grace of God teaches us that we should look “for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and savior Jesus Christ” (Titus 2:11-13). God “has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you” (1 Peter 1:3-4). Therefore, “we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells” (2 Peter 3:13). We live “in hope of eternal life which God, who cannot lie, promised before time began” (Titus 1:2). We are not disappointed by this hope “because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us” (Romans 5:5). The Holy Spirit is “the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of his glory” (Ephesians 1:14). Paul prayed, “Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit” (Romans 15:13).

Although we Christians may live in troublesome times, we can live with confidence, courage, and hope (Psalm 31:24), derived not from simple optimism, but from trusting God (Hebrews 10:23). We can “glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope” (Romans 5:3-4). People who rely on God have a quality of hope that surpasses those who are without God. Christians “have strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold of the hope set before us. This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast . . .” (Hebrews 6:18-19). “Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, and whose hope is the Lord” (Jeremiah 17:7).

Copyright ©, December, 2005, by Robert L. Waggoner. Permission is granted to copy and distribute this document for non-profit educational purposes if reproduced in full without additions or deletions. Why not distribute this document to others? For other essays about God and additional information regarding biblical theism, go to the website www.biblicaltheism.com

How to go to Heaven

How to get right with god.

What does the Bible say about hope?

For further study, related articles, subscribe to the, question of the week.

Get our Question of the Week delivered right to your inbox!

Crosswalk Editors Daily Devotional and Bible Devotions

BROWSE TOPICS X
Give Bibles
Devotionals
Newsletters

The Gospel Transforms Lives Through Faith, Hope, and Love - The Crosswalk Devotional - May 27

The Gospel Transforms Lives through Faith , Hope, and Love By Jessica Van Roekel

“We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love that you have for all the saints, because of the hope laid up for you in heaven. Of this you have heard before in the word of the truth, the gospel, which has come to you, as indeed in the whole world it is bearing fruit and increasing—as it also does among you, since the day you heard it and understood the grace of God in truth.” - Colossians 1:4-6 ESV

Good news is satisfying but sometimes hard to find. The phone rings late at night, and our heart stops. The morning headlines paint the world as a dark place. The evening news fills our dreams with dread as we hope for a good night’s sleep. But there’s nothing more satisfying in difficult circumstances than good news. A cheerful report about the people we care about shines bright on an otherwise dreary day. Such was the case for Paul, the Apostle. While imprisoned in Rome, he received news of a congregation in Colossae that caused him to rejoice. This church resulted from Epaphras’ conversion to Christianity when Paul preached to the Ephesians. The Colossian's response to the gospel changed lives as people came to faith in Christ Jesus.

There’s nothing more encouraging for someone in ministry to witness or hear about a person who encounters the Gospel of Jesus Christ and whose life changes. The world is hard, with many barriers to growing up in Christ. Distractions abound, and the pull of the old way of living is strong. We can learn from the believers in the Colossians church and their emphasis on faith, hope, and love. Biblical faith involves a commitment to God and an expression of trust in him. Faith goes beyond what we know and understand. It is, as Hebrews 11:1 states, the assurance of things hoped for, and the conviction of things not seen. Faith is a loyalty to God that withstands the brunt of any bad news we may face. It takes God at his word, which means if God says he will not forsake us, we can trust him to keep his word. Faith in God finds its hope in spiritual realities, not the circumstances we see.

Love for other believers in Christ is a central Christian virtue. 1 Corinthians 13 guides us in the type of love God wants to develop in us. It’s the kind of love that doesn’t keep records of wrongdoing, it doesn’t harbor envy, and it doesn’t insist on its way. One of the ways the gospel transforms us is through this kind of love. It is non-negotiable evidence of the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives. Patience, kindness, and deference to each other in the name of Jesus reveal how much God has changed our lives.

Hope is foundational to faith and love. It is more than a wish. It is a confident expectation rooted in God’s character, provision, and promise. We are guaranteed eternity in his presence. This kind of hope helps us look beyond our discouraging situations to the hope we have in him. In Romans 8:18 , Paul writes, “Our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.” As we hold fast to hope, faith, and love, we allow God’s glory to be revealed through us. And as his glory shines bright, we are transformed, and the world can see the difference the gospel makes.

Intersecting Faith and Life: Our Sunday services encourage us to live a life that honors God. We receive insight and encouragement to keep walking in faith, growing in love, and clinging to hope. If your circumstances overwhelm you and you feel your faith shaking, remember that loyalty to God is an expression of faith. God does not turn his back on you. When you keep your commitment toward him to develop hope, faith, and love, he will carry you through and transform your life.

Related Resource: Bold Prayers: Asking God to Reveal the Roots of Our Anxiety

Sometimes, anxiety can hit without any recognizable provocation, or our anxiety can feel more intense than the situation warrants. When we find ourselves in that place, we can pray the prayer ancient Israel's second king, David, prayed at the end of Psalm 139, trusting that our God will and is leading us to increased freedom. Listen in to this episode of Faith Over Fear and have your mind and heart fixed on the truth you need for your day! If you like this episode, be sure to subscribe on Apple or Spotify so you never miss an episode!

The Crosswalk Devotional Archive

How Can We Aim to Have the Same Attitude as Jesus? - The Crosswalk Devotional - July 15 Jul 15, 2024
The Privilege of Growing Old - The Crosswalk Devotional - July 14 Jul 14, 2024
What Is Real Christian Hope? - The Crosswalk Devotional - July 13 Jul 13, 2024
What to Remember during a Stressful Election Year - The Crosswalk Devotional - July 12 Jul 12, 2024

Editor's Picks

Popular Today

A Prayer When it Feels Like You Don't Have Enough Grace for the Day - Your Daily Prayer - July 11

Privacy Policy
Terms of Use
Crosswalk App
California - Do Not Sell My Personal Information
California - CCPA Notice

How Hope Impacts Your Life

Daily devotional details.

Rejoice in hope… Romans 12:12

Ask yourself: If my hope were only in this world, and I had no hope of eternal life, what would my life look like? Perhaps you would say one or more of the following:

“I’d work less.” I would definitely take more time off. I’d focus more attention on all of the things I want to do, and I’d probably live with the constant feeling that I’m running out of time.

“I’d give less.” I would need all the money I can possibly get to do all the things that I want to do. The natural result of this would be to give less.

“I’d grieve more.” If my hope was primarily in this world, then anything that I lost in this world would end up being an ultimate and an irreplaceable loss.

“I’d defend myself more.” This world would be the only place where things that are wrong could be put right, so I would need to make sure they’re all put right.

These are the same issues that Paul draws out in Romans 12: Do not be slothful in zeal (12:11). Why? Because the time is short. Contribute to the needs of the saints (12:13). Why would you give? Because your treasure is in heaven. Be patient in tribulation (12:12). How can you endure tribulation? Because of all that lies ahead of you. Never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God (12:19). Why? Because God will set all things right.

When your hope is in Jesus Christ, and in all that He holds in store for you, your hope will touch and change every area of your life!

In which of these four areas (your work, your giving, your grieving, or your self-defense) does it appear that your hope in Christ is impacting your life least?

100-Word Faith Stories: (Very) short essays about unexpectedly experiencing God in the world today

God is in all things. But we don’t always expect to feel God’s presence in a particular moment or place. We asked readers to share these stories of surprising moments of faith and grace in no more than 100 words. These (very) short essays about unexpectedly experiencing God in the world today include feelings of joy, sadness, laughter, anger and anything in between. They demonstrate the many ways in which God is with us, if only we would take the time to notice.

Two parents and four boys make a small house feel like a sardine tin packed with firecrackers. I had my eye on a larger fixer-upper nearby. But despite its apparent practicality and my eagerness, my husband wasn’t enthused. I suggested a quick attempt at discernment: Pray one Hail Mary while imagining we had settled on each choice, buy or stay.

We both felt God’s presence. The “Stay” prayer brought unwelcome but undeniable inner peace. “Buy” brought anxiety rather than excitement.

I could only respond, “Thy will be done.” Our house is cramped and noisy, but we’ll stay for now. Jessica Carney Ardmore, Pa.

My sons and I were enjoying the wave pool at our local amusement park on a beautiful sunny day. There was the usual crowd of people—of different ages, from different neighborhoods and cultures—all enjoying the pool. I closed my eyes and was suddenly aware of the joyous cacophony. All the voices, screams and laughter of my siblings, my fellow children of God. I was awestruck, and with my eyes still shut, I smiled broadly, and I thanked God for that sudden grace of connection and awareness. Matthew Whelehan Rochester, N.Y.

My husband is a stroke survivor; I’m his caregiver. Ron has balance issues, garbled speech and swallowing difficulties. Once the primary breadwinner, Ron’s now on SSDI. I struggle to bring in money while handling the numerous responsibilities of caring for my husband and household.

Earlier today I read the abandonment prayer of the newly canonized St. Charles de Foucauld: “Father, I abandon myself into your hands; do with me what you will. I am ready for all, I accept all. Let only your will be done in me, and in all your creatures.”

I am now at peace. Jerilyn Burgess North Olmsted, Ohio

At my first holy Communion, when I was 7 in 1958, I came up to the altar and was so small I had to stand rather than kneel at the rail. The priest approached and put the host on my tongue. I felt drawn out of myself, forgetting where I was, feeling a sense of presence. It was like being a mini Samuel, and I said to the Lord, “Speak, for your servant is listening . ” My love for the Eucharist continues to this day. William Eagan, S.J. Weston, Mass.

I invited my all-white classmates to Mass at my Black Catholic parish. During Mass, my friend nudged me, “Lee, we’re the only white people here.” I responded, “Frank, how do you think…” but before I could finish my statement, Frank added, “Lee, I never thought about you that way.” The experience helped him to see my struggles as the only Black kid in our classes. We had just had a class that taught we were made in the image and likeness of God. We saw that in one another more clearly now. Lee Baker New Orleans, La.

As I walked a labyrinth, I couldn’t shake the image of playing hide and seek with God. Shrubs around the path made me alternately feel hidden and then exposed. I know God is always there waiting for me, but I often “hide.” I fear I haven’t done enough, or I’m not good enough to earn God’s love. But those doubts come from me, not God. Although I may think I’m hiding, God sees and loves me. When I embrace God’s unconditional love, I will grow into the person he created me to be. Cathy Cunningham Framingham, Mass.

Deep in grief as I grappled with my husband’s determination to divorce, God felt absent, my faith rocked. My friend, Sister Noreen, told me to read the Bible. I mocked her. Unfazed, she insisted: “Open it at random. What have you got to lose?” On March 19, as I opened a newly purchased Bible, I cried: “God where are you?!” My eyes fell upon Jer 29:11. “For I know the plans....” I can still feel the jolt that coursed through my body at that moment—in shock and joy—the first of many such moments since then. Mary Margaret Cannon Washington, D.C.

Most popular

Your source for jobs, books, retreats, and much more.

The latest from america

What Christians Want To Know

Bible Verses, Quotes, Christian Answers, Songs and More

Our Ministry Partners

Home Starting Page
About Our Beliefs
Jesus Do You Know Him?
Archives Article List
Writers Meet Us
Contact Ask Questions

Hope in God in Hopeless Times

T he times we live in are so troubled. People losing their jobs, the stock market falls, natural catastrophes, and uncertainty in what the future holds. In today’s economy there is little to hope for the future however God is never caught off guard or by surprise. God knows the future. You are not the only one that has felt that there is no hope. Even Bible heroes had their times when they wanted to give up. Job, Moses, Jonah , Jeremiah, even the powerful prophet in the Old Testament, Elijah.

Humans have definitions of hope that are different from God’s. We might hope our team wins the Super Bowl, or we might hope we don’t lose our jobs or our house. But the biblical definition of hope is not a hope-so but a know-so. Our hope in God is surer than the sun rising in the morning. Just read these verses of hope and put yourself or your own name in the place of “I” or “we”. Where is hope found? It is in the Bible, the Word of God. Psalm 119:74 “I have put my hope in your word” , in Psalm 119:81 “… I have put my hope in your word” , and in Psalm 130:5 “… in his word (The Bible) I put my hope”.

Here is real hope. When a person reads the Word of God (Bible) they can know for certain that they have a secure and certain future for God will never allow us to suffer beyond our own capabilities to handle it. There is nothing on this earth more certain than hope in God. He will never leave us nor will He ever forsake us. He is our anchor in the present and for the future.

Redemptive Hope

Put your hope in the LORD, for with the LORD is unfailing love and with him is full redemption. Psalm 130:7

If you are a believer you can rest assured that God’s love is unfailing and He will deliver us in the days of calamity. He has rescued the born-again believers from certain judgment and promised us an eternal home with Him. Instead of using ink, God has signed this redemption with Jesus’ own blood which seals you permanently. When our hope is in the Lord and not in us, it is a rock solid hope.

Gift of Hope

For you have given me hope. Psalm 119:49

We know that there is always hope when we trust in God for He has given us His Holy Spirit to seal us as we read in Ephesians 1:13, “And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit.”

Future Hope

For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Jeremiah 29:11

God had plans for you. You can bank on that. His plans are not intended to harm you but to prosper you. Now this does not mean that He plans to make you rich but He does plan for you to have a secure future. God says that He has plans for you and He knows them even if we do not. Your stockbroker or financial adviser might have plans for you too, but they do not know the future, they may try to plan for a secure future but they do not have the ability to bring it about. God knows your future and is planning it better than anyone else can, ever ourselves.

Hope is for now, it is for today, and it is for tomorrow too.

Unending Hope

Put your hope in the LORD both now and forevermore. Psalm 131:3

Hope is for now, it is for today, and it is for tomorrow too. Jesus clearly tells Christians that He will never leave us, never forsake us, and will never, ever cast us away (John 6:37). This promise is for tomorrow morning, next week, and next year. This hope is the believer’s hope that covers their entire life. It is without end and will stay with us until Jesus comes for us.

Lovely Hope

The LORD delights in those who fear him, who put their hope in his unfailing love. Psalm 147:11

I am a father and grandfather. My children have troubles. They come to me for advice. I am always offering them hope that all things will work out for their best despite what today may seem like (Romans 8:28). I delight when they come to me with their troubles. So too does the Lord delight when we put our hope in Him and His unfailing love. He wants us to depend upon Him for everything. He delights to give us the desires of our hearts (Psalm 37:4).

Unashamed Hope

No one whose hope is in you will ever be put to shame… Psalm 25:3

If we have our hope in the right place, that is not in ourselves, our jobs, our circumstances, but in God alone, we will never be disappointed. We will never be ashamed for placing our hope in Him because He has the power to deliver us out of all our troubles. We do not possess that kind of power. Our 401K does not have such power. God owns the whole earth, He owns every animal in the forest, and He is the owner of the cattle on a thousand hills as Psalm 50:10-11 says, “for every animal of the forest is mine, and the cattle on a thousand hills. I know every bird in the mountains, and the insects in the fields are mine.”

Guiding Hope

Guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long . Psalm 25:5

We are finite creatures and can not look beyond today but God has planned every step we take. He guides us and protects us, even in areas where the dark shadows of death seem imminent in the lowest valleys (Psalm 23). We might plan our own course but God Himself determines where our steps go (Proverbs 16:9).

Courageous Hope

Be strong and take heart, all you who hope in the LORD. Psalm 31:24

If we are not a believer, then we have only hope in this world and among men are most miserable. But if we are Christians, then we can take heart and be courageous because God is our hope. When God is your hope you have a sure thing. When it is in the world, then we are consumed with worry because we don’t know what comes next. Those who have hope in God have hope in the only One Who can guarantee our future.

Reverent Hope

But the eyes of the LORD are on those who fear him, on those whose hope is in his unfailing love. Psalm 33:18

When we hear the words “fear in the Lord” or “those who fear him” this is not a fear of punishment or retribution. Fear is simply a reverential respect and standing in awe of God. That is what “fear of the Lord” means. It means that those who reverence God and His name have nothing to fear at all; no evil, no pestilence, no begging for bread, and no fear of want. His unfailing love is upon those that fear or revere Him: His love never fails and His eyes are fixed on you in a permanent gaze that is transfixed upon your today and your tomorrow. You are the apple of His eye (Deuteronomy 32:10, Zechariah 2:8).

Protective Hope

We wait in hope for the LORD; he is our help and our shield. Psalm 33:20

Our hope in God is a shied of life. Not only a shield in eternal life but in the present life. He is our help when we need it and our shield when we need protecting. God alone is our help and our shield.

Sovereign Hope

But now, Lord, what do I look for? My hope is in you. Psalm 39:7

When we look to ourselves, our employer, our retirement fund, or our inheritance, we can not fully hope with 100% certainty. But what do we look for when our Hope is in God? We know that even our employer’s decisions are in God’s sovereign hands. Proverbs 21:1 says, “The king’s heart is like channels of water in the hand of the LORD; He turns it wherever He wishes.” The king thinks he might be in charge, or the boss might think he or she is making their own decision, but in God’s sovereignty, they do nothing that is not in God’s divine plan for us. They are subject to the Lord’s will whether they know it or not.

… when hope is in God we have reason to praise our Savior and our God.

Praiseworthy Hope

Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God. Psalm 42:11

(These are repeated in Psalm 42:5 and Psalm 43:5)

Here the Psalmist examines his own heart in asking, Why am I so downcast? Why am I so disturbed? When really he has no reason to be because when hope is in God we have reason to praise our Savior and our God. If you do not know Christ, then I would agree that there is every good reason to be downcast, to be depressed , and to be so disturbed. The world is the most uncertain place to live in today above any other day but not so for those whose hope is in God.

Restful Hope

Find rest, O my soul, in God alone; my hope comes from him. Psalm 62:5

I have often times wrestled with tomorrow while I lay down to sleep. The many “what if’s” haunt my mind and do not allow me to sleep as I rehearse the day’s events and worry about what happens tomorrow if…. But worrying about tomorrow is borrowing trouble from tomorrow and spending it on today. When you realize that tomorrow is already taken care of by God alone and the hope you have in Him, then you can find rest. It is easier to sleep tonight if you know tomorrow is in God’s hands.

Hope In God Bible Verses

If you are feeling hopeless and worried about tomorrow, next week, or even next year read the rest of these verses and see how far having hope in God goes:

Psalm 65:5 You answer us with awesome deeds of righteousness, O God our Savior, the hope of all the ends of the earth and of the farthest seas

Psalm 69:6 May those who hope in you not be disgraced because of me, O Lord…

Psalm 71:14 But as for me, I will always have hope; I will praise you more and more.

Psalm 71:5 For you have been my hope, O Sovereign LORD, my confidence since my youth.

Psalm 9:18 But the needy will not always be forgotten, nor the hope of the afflicted ever perish.

Romans 12:12 Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.

Psalm 9:18 But the needy will not always be forgotten, nor the hope of the afflicted ever perish.

Job 11:18 You will be secure, because there is hope; you will look about you and take your rest in safety .

Psalm 33:18 But the eyes of the LORD are on those who fear him, on those whose hope is in his unfailing love.

Psalm 33:22 May your unfailing love rest upon us, O LORD, even as we put our hope in you.

Psalm 119:74 May those who fear you rejoice when they see me, for I have put my hope in your word.

For A Certain Future!

If you are not a born-again Christian then you have no hope in this present world. Your future is uncertain and you have no idea what tomorrow may bring. Decide right here and now, at this very moment, to fix your hope on the rock-solid promises of God and all of these verses can be literally claimed by you. It is a promise from God Himself. Today is your day of salvation (2 Corinthians 6:2). Here is how you can have a living, breathing hope. Even if you have to print this out and read this on your knees, or you have to read it out aloud right now, I ask that you would receive Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior today. Do it right now and you have the assurance of hope in God for today, tomorrow, and for all eternity:

I Admit – that I am a sinner and in need of a Savior (Romans 6:23)
I Abandon – self-effort and realize I can not be saved by my works or efforts (Acts 16:31)
I Accept freely Christ’s payment for my sins, required of the Father (John 3:16)
I Acknowledge Jesus Christ as my personal Lord and Savior (Acts 4:12)

If you have just received Jesus, you have now received God’s inheritance rights since you are now a son or daughter of His and can never be lost again & live forever (John 10:28-29). Now, join a Bible-believing church, or call 1-888-NeedHim (633-3446) for follow up questions about salvation that is only available through Jesus Christ.

Read some more about hope in this article: Words of Hope

Resources – New International Version Bible (NIV) THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. YouTube video “Praise You in the Storm” by Casting Crowns.

Tagged as: Catastrophes , Certainty , Hope , Hope in God , Hopless Times , Uncertainty

Article by Jack Wellman

Jack Wellman is a father and grandfather and a Christian author and pastor of Heritage Evangelical Free Church in Udall, KS [https://modelchrist.org/] & also a Prison Minister. He did his graduate work at Moody Theological Seminary. His books are include: “Teaching Children The Gospel/How to Raise Godly Children,“ “Do Babies Go To Heaven?/Why Does God Allow Suffering?,“ "The Great Omission; Reaching the Lost for Christ," and “Blind Chance or Intelligent Design?, Empirical Methodologies & the Bible."

Jack has written 1413 articles on What Christians Want To Know! Read them in the archive below.

If you like what you're reading, you can get free daily updates through the RSS feed here . Thanks for stopping by!

Previous post: Bible Verses About Change: 20 Helpful Quotes

Next post: 21 Great Quotes About Heaven

Featured Bible Verse

1 Chronicles 16:11 Seek the LORD and his strength; seek his presence continually!

Get Answers to the Most Popular Questions. + 2 bonus eBooks.

Featured christian quote.

“God loves each of us as if there were only one of us"- Augustine

U.S. Edition

Arts & Culture
Bible & Theology
Christian Living
Current Events
Faith & Work
As In Heaven
Gospelbound
Post-Christianity?
The Carson Center Podcast
TGC Podcast
You're Not Crazy
Churches Planting Churches
Help Me Teach The Bible
Word Of The Week
Upcoming Events
Past Conference Media
Foundation Documents
Regional Chapters
Church Directory
Global Resourcing
Donate to TGC

To All The World

The world is a confusing place right now. We believe that faithful proclamation of the gospel is what our hostile and disoriented world needs. Do you believe that too? Help TGC bring biblical wisdom to the confusing issues across the world by making a gift to our international work.

3 Reasons for Hope in the Face of Grief and Worry

More By Alistair Begg

Most of us are a mixture of emotions and experiences. The good, the bad, and the ugly wash over us regularly. The key issue is what we do with these feelings and experiences.

How does being a believer shape the way in which we view our world, especially when we’re faced with worries and grief?

In her book The Hiding Place , Corrie ten Boom tells the story of looking forward to her first railway journey. Although her trip was not for many weeks, she would regularly go to her father and ask him if he had the tickets. He would tell her over and over that he did. She realized that her problem was a lack of trust in her dad; she did not believe he would take care of everything. She was worrying that he would lose her ticket and that somehow she would be without it on the day she was to travel. In that lesson, she learned that God gives us the ticket on the day we make the journey and not before. He, of course, is much better at keeping it safe than we are.

In our pilgrimages through heartache, disappointment, the loss of loved ones, and personal failures, we can learn that this is indeed true. Therefore, we must trust him.

On the day we make the journey from time to eternity, if we know Christ, we know he will give us the ticket. If that day is today, then the ticket is on the way. If not, then what is the use in lying awake and letting our emotions control us and our worries crowd in on us? We are not at the mercy of arbitrary, impersonal forces; we are in the hand of our loving God. That brings us to the first reminder that can bring peace during times of trouble.

1. Our Times Are in God’s Hands

But I trust in you, O Lord; I say “You are my God.” My times are in your hand; rescue me from the hand of my enemies and from my persecutors! Make your face shine on your servant; save me in your steadfast love! (Ps. 31:14–16)

We are not at the mercy of arbitrary, impersonal forces; we are in the hand of our loving God.

“My times are in your hand” is a six-word affirmation to remind Christians that, despite disasters and difficulties, we’re under the care of the Almighty God.

In the opening verses of Psalm 31, it’s apparent that David is in anguish. As we read on, we seem to find him in a position of assurance just a few verses later, only for him to return immediately to a state of distress. This cycle of pain and joy is not an unusual experience for the Christian pilgrim. In fact, the recurrence of disappointment and discomfort is fairly common along the path of faith.

But God says to us, Come to me , all who are weary and heavy laden . Come to me with all your burdens , fears , panics , anxieties , and heartaches . Take my yoke upon you . Live underneath my loving rule , because my yoke is easy and my burden is light , and you will find rest for your souls , forever (see Matt. 11:28–30).

This is our security. Our times—short or long, rich or poor, sad or happy—are in his hand. He will give us good works to do each day, and then on our last day, he will bring us safely through to the place where our days are infinitely long, unimaginably rich, and unutterably happy.

2. The Bible Acknowledges Our Emotions

Grief is an example of an emotion that can overwhelm us to the utmost. You may know this experience all too well. I remember its first intrusion into my life when I was a teenager and my mother died. Nothing could ever be quite as it had been before.

You do not have to live long as a believer to discover that faith does not insulate us from feelings like grief and the fear of it. Paul wrote about the near-death experience of his friend Epaphroditus: “Indeed he was ill, near to death. But God had mercy on him, and not only on him but on me also, lest I should have sorrow upon sorrow” (Phil. 2:27).

The thought of losing Epaphroditus broke Paul’s heart. He understood that death was not the end, but he also recognized that in experiencing loss, or even in the prospect of it, there is true sorrow.

Grief is hard because something has been lost, and certain joys are now irretrievably gone. But we also know that grief is a reality to which Scripture plainly speaks—a reality that will one day be redeemed by a far greater joy. And we know that grief is a reality with which our Savior is personally acquainted.

3. Jesus Enables Grief and Hope to Coexist

As Jesus stood at the grave of his friend Lazarus, he—the second Person of the Trinity—grieved with those who had gathered there. Though he was about to raise Lazarus from the dead, he still wept because he was sincerely sad. The mystery in this scene is that Jesus so identified with our humanity that he shed genuine tears at the loss of his beloved friend (John 11:33–35).

Grief is a reality with which our Savior is personally acquainted.

Although the Bible introduces us to the reality of Christ’s victory over death and the grave, it doesn’t call us to some kind of glossy, heartless triumphalism. Rather, as Alec Motyer writes , “tears are proper for believers—indeed they should be all the more copious, for Christians are more sensitively aware of every emotion, whether of joy or sorrow, than those who have known nothing of the softening and enlivening grace of God” (90).

The fact that our loved ones who died in Christ are now with him lightens but does not remove the anguish of loss and loneliness. We continue to long for the day when such pain will have ceased.

Until that day comes, we can find comfort in knowing that Jesus was “a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief” (Isa. 53:3) as we look to him as our example, as we see that he is “the resurrection and the life” (John 11:25), and as we look to him for our eternity. Knowing this is what enables hope to reign in our hearts, even as very real worries and grief exist in our lives.

This article was adapted from the June 13 and June 14 devotions in Truth for Life: 365 Daily Devotions by Alistair Begg. Start each and every day in God’s Word with this one-year devotional.

Is the digital age making us foolish?

It doesn’t have to be this way. With intentionality and the discipline to cultivate healthier media consumption habits, we can resist the foolishness of the age and instead become wise and spiritually mature. Brett McCracken’s The Wisdom Pyramid: Feeding Your Soul in a Post-Truth World shows us the way.

To start cultivating a diet more conducive to wisdom, click below to access a FREE ebook of The Wisdom Pyramid .

Alistair Begg is general editor of the CSB Spurgeon Study Bible , senior pastor of Parkside Church in Cleveland, and the Bible teacher on Truth for Life , which is heard on the radio and online around the world. He graduated from theological college in London and served two churches in Scotland before moving to Ohio. Alistair is married to Susan, and together they have three grown children and seven grandchildren.

Now Trending

1 how the marshmallow test can help you flee porn, 2 the rise of right-wing wokeism, 3 3 waves that have shaped evangelical churches (and a 4th on the way), 4 are images of christ ok no., 5 are images of christ ok yes..

The 11 Beliefs You Should Know about Jehovah’s Witnesses When They Knock at the Door

Here are the key beliefs of Jehovah’s Witnesses—and what the Bible really teaches instead.

Understanding the Metamodern Mood

What Should We Think About Paedocommunion?

Hope for Struggling Christians During Pride Month

The Desegregation of Dallas Theological Seminary

My Friend, Randy Newman (1956–2024)

The Omnipotence, Omniscience, and Omnipresence of God

Latest Episodes

Trevin wax on reconstructing faith.

Innocent Suffering: Making Sense of Suffering, Part 2

Examining the Current and Future State of the Global Church

David Brooks Explores the Amazing Power of Truly Seeing Others

Welcome and Witness: How to Reach Out in a Secular Age

How to Build Gospel Culture: A Q&A Conversation

Gaming Alone: Helping the Generation of Young Men Captivated and Isolated by Video Games

Women, Cultivate Your Leading and Teaching Gifts

Faith & Work: How Do I Glorify God Even When My Work Seems Meaningless?

Let’s Talk Reunion: The Blessings of Bible Study with Friends

Getting Rid of Your Fear of the Book of Revelation

Looking for Love in All the Wrong Places: A Sermon from Julius Kim

Artwork for the Acts 29 Churches Planting Churches Podcast

Introducing The Acts 29 Podcast

OpenBible.info Geocoding Topical Bible Labs Blog

What does the Bible say about ?

A ‣ B ‣ C ‣ D ‣ E ‣ F ‣ G ‣ H ‣ I ‣ J ‣ K ‣ L ‣ M ‣ N ‣ O ‣ P ‣ Q ‣ R ‣ S ‣ T ‣ U ‣ V ‣ W ‣ Y ‣ Z

96 Bible Verses about Hope In God

Romans 15:13 esv / 22 helpful votes helpful not helpful.

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.

Romans 12:12 ESV / 18 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.

Romans 15:4 ESV / 14 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.

Hebrews 11:1 ESV / 11 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.

1 Peter 1:13 ESV / 10 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

Therefore, preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.

Psalm 31:24 ESV / 9 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

Be strong, and let your heart take courage, all you who wait for the Lord !

1 Peter 1:3 ESV / 8 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,

Titus 2:13 ESV / 8 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

Waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ,

Titus 1:2 ESV / 8 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

In hope of eternal life, which God, who never lies, promised before the ages began

Psalm 146:5 ESV / 8 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the Lord his God,

Psalm 42:5 ESV / 7 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation

1 John 3:3 ESV / 6 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure.

Hebrews 6:11 ESV / 6 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

And we desire each one of you to show the same earnestness to have the full assurance of hope until the end,

Colossians 1:27 ESV / 6 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

To them God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.

Galatians 5:5 ESV / 6 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

For through the Spirit, by faith, we ourselves eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness.

Romans 8:25 ESV / 6 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.

Jeremiah 29:11 ESV / 6 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord , plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.

Ephesians 2:12 ESV / 5 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

Remember that you were at that time separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world.

Ephesians 1:18 ESV / 5 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

Having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints,

2 Corinthians 3:12 ESV / 5 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

Since we have such a hope, we are very bold,

Romans 8:24-25 ESV / 5 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.

1 Peter 3:15 ESV / 4 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

But in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect,

1 Peter 1:21 ESV / 4 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

Who through him are believers in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.

Hebrews 6:19 ESV / 4 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters into the inner place behind the curtain,

1 Timothy 1:1 ESV / 4 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by command of God our Savior and of Christ Jesus our hope,

2 Thessalonians 2:16 ESV / 4 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

Now may our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God our Father, who loved us and gave us eternal comfort and good hope through grace,

1 Thessalonians 1:3 ESV / 4 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

Remembering before our God and Father your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.

Colossians 1:23 ESV / 4 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

If indeed you continue in the faith, stable and steadfast, not shifting from the hope of the gospel that you heard, which has been proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of which I, Paul, became a minister.

Ephesians 4:4 ESV / 4 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call—

Acts 24:15 ESV / 4 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

Having a hope in God, which these men themselves accept, that there will be a resurrection of both the just and the unjust.

Acts 23:6 ESV / 4 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

Now when Paul perceived that one part were Sadducees and the other Pharisees, he cried out in the council, “Brothers, I am a Pharisee, a son of Pharisees. It is with respect to the hope and the resurrection of the dead that I am on trial.”

Proverbs 23:18 ESV / 4 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

Surely there is a future, and your hope will not be cut off.

Psalm 119:81 ESV / 4 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

My soul longs for your salvation; I hope in your word.

1 John 3:2-3 ESV / 3 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

Beloved, we are God's children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is. And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure.

Hebrews 13:6 ESV / 3 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

So we can confidently say, “The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?”

Hebrews 10:23 ESV / 3 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful.

Hebrews 6:18-19 ESV / 3 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

So that by two unchangeable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled for refuge might have strong encouragement to hold fast to the hope set before us. We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters into the inner place behind the curtain,

Hebrews 3:6 ESV / 3 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

But Christ is faithful over God's house as a son. And we are his house, if indeed we hold fast our confidence and our boasting in our hope.

Titus 3:7 ESV / 3 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

So that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

1 Timothy 4:10 ESV / 3 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

For to this end we toil and strive, because we have our hope set on the living God, who is the Savior of all people, especially of those who believe.

2 Thessalonians 2:16-17 ESV / 3 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

Now may our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God our Father, who loved us and gave us eternal comfort and good hope through grace, comfort your hearts and establish them in every good work and word.

1 Thessalonians 5:8 ESV / 3 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and for a helmet the hope of salvation.

1 Thessalonians 4:13 ESV / 3 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope.

Philippians 4:13 ESV / 3 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

I can do all things through him who strengthens me.

2 Corinthians 1:10 ESV / 3 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

He delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us. On him we have set our hope that he will deliver us again.

1 Corinthians 13:13 ESV / 3 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.

Romans 8:24 ESV / 3 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees?

Romans 4:18 ESV / 3 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

In hope he believed against hope, that he should become the father of many nations, as he had been told, “So shall your offspring be.”

Jeremiah 17:7 ESV / 3 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

“Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord , whose trust is the Lord .

Jeremiah 17:7-8 ESV / 3 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

“Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord , whose trust is the Lord . He is like a tree planted by water, that sends out its roots by the stream, and does not fear when heat comes, for its leaves remain green, and is not anxious in the year of drought, for it does not cease to bear fruit.”

Jeremiah 14:22 ESV / 3 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

Are there any among the false gods of the nations that can bring rain? Or can the heavens give showers? Are you not he, O Lord our God? We set our hope on you, for you do all these things.

Isaiah 38:18 ESV / 3 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

For Sheol does not thank you; death does not praise you; those who go down to the pit do not hope for your faithfulness.

Ecclesiastes 9:4 ESV / 3 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

But he who is joined with all the living has hope, for a living dog is better than a dead lion.

Proverbs 14:32 ESV / 3 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

The wicked is overthrown through his evildoing, but the righteous finds refuge in his death.

Proverbs 13:12 ESV / 3 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a desire fulfilled is a tree of life.

Proverbs 10:28 ESV / 3 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

The hope of the righteous brings joy, but the expectation of the wicked will perish.

Psalm 147:11 ESV / 3 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

But the Lord takes pleasure in those who fear him, in those who hope in his steadfast love.

Psalm 130:5 ESV / 3 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

I wait for the Lord , my soul waits, and in his word I hope;

Psalm 119:114 ESV / 3 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

You are my hiding place and my shield; I hope in your word.

Psalm 119:1-176 ESV / 3 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

Blessed are those whose way is blameless, who walk in the law of the Lord ! Blessed are those who keep his testimonies, who seek him with their whole heart, who also do no wrong, but walk in his ways! You have commanded your precepts to be kept diligently. Oh that my ways may be steadfast in keeping your statutes! ...

Psalm 71:5 ESV / 3 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

For you, O Lord, are my hope, my trust, O Lord , from my youth.

Psalm 42:11 ESV / 3 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation and my God.

Psalm 39:7 ESV / 3 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

“And now, O Lord, for what do I wait? My hope is in you.

Psalm 27:13 ESV / 3 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

I believe that I shall look upon the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living!

Psalm 25:5 ESV / 3 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

Lead me in your truth and teach me, for you are the God of my salvation; for you I wait all the day long.

Job 8:13 ESV / 3 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

Such are the paths of all who forget God; the hope of the godless shall perish.

1 John 3:2 ESV / 2 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

Beloved, we are God's children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is.

1 Peter 1:1-25 ESV / 2 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who are elect exiles of the Dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in the sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and for sprinkling with his blood: May grace and peace be multiplied to you. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God's power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. ...

Hebrews 6:18 ESV / 2 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

So that by two unchangeable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled for refuge might have strong encouragement to hold fast to the hope set before us.

Hebrews 6:4-20 ESV / 2 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

For it is impossible, in the case of those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, and have shared in the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the age to come, and then have fallen away, to restore them again to repentance, since they are crucifying once again the Son of God to their own harm and holding him up to contempt. For land that has drunk the rain that often falls on it, and produces a crop useful to those for whose sake it is cultivated, receives a blessing from God. But if it bears thorns and thistles, it is worthless and near to being cursed, and its end is to be burned. ...

Titus 3:5 ESV / 2 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

He saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit,

Titus 2:11-14 ESV / 2 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works.

1 Timothy 6:17 ESV / 2 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

As for the rich in this present age, charge them not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy.

1 Thessalonians 5:8-9 ESV / 2 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and for a helmet the hope of salvation. For God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ,

Colossians 1:5 ESV / 2 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

Because of the hope laid up for you in heaven. Of this you have heard before in the word of the truth, the gospel,

Colossians 1:4-5 ESV / 2 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

Since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love that you have for all the saints, because of the hope laid up for you in heaven. Of this you have heard before in the word of the truth, the gospel,

Philippians 1:20 ESV / 2 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

As it is my eager expectation and hope that I will not be at all ashamed, but that with full courage now as always Christ will be honored in my body, whether by life or by death.

Ephesians 2:8 ESV / 2 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God,

1 Corinthians 15:19 ESV / 2 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied.

Romans 8:28 ESV / 2 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.

Romans 5:5 ESV / 2 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

And 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.

Romans 5:2-5 ESV / 2 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and 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.

Romans 5:2 ESV / 2 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God.

Romans 5:1-21 ESV / 2 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and 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. ...

Romans 5:1-5 ESV / 2 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

Acts 28:20 ESV / 2 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

For this reason, therefore, I have asked to see you and speak with you, since it is because of the hope of Israel that I am wearing this chain.”

Acts 26:7 ESV / 2 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

To which our twelve tribes hope to attain, as they earnestly worship night and day. And for this hope I am accused by Jews, O king!

John 10:1-42 ESV / 2 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

“Truly, truly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door but climbs in by another way, that man is a thief and a robber. But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. To him the gatekeeper opens. The sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. A stranger they will not follow, but they will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers.” ...

John 5:24 ESV / 2 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.

John 3:16-17 ESV / 2 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.

John 3:8 ESV / 2 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.”

John 3:3 ESV / 2 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.”

Matthew 6:25-34 ESV / 2 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

“Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. ...

Joel 3:16 ESV / 2 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

The Lord roars from Zion, and utters his voice from Jerusalem, and the heavens and the earth quake. But the Lord is a refuge to his people, a stronghold to the people of Israel.

Lamentations 3:26 ESV / 2 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

It is good that one should wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord .

Lamentations 3:25 ESV / 2 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

The Lord is good to those who wait for him, to the soul who seeks him.

Suggest a Verse

Enter a verse reference (e.g., john 3:16-17 ).

Visit the Bible online to search for words if you don’t know the specific passage your’re looking for.

Unless otherwise indicated, all content is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License . All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. Copyright ©2001 by Crossway Bibles , a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Contact me: openbibleinfo (at) gmail.com.

Essay on God’s Importance In Life

Students are often asked to write an essay on God’s Importance In Life in their schools and colleges. And if you’re also looking for the same, we have created 100-word, 250-word, and 500-word essays on the topic.

Let’s take a look…

100 Words Essay on God’s Importance In Life

Understanding god’s role.

Many people believe in a higher power known as God. They see God as a guide who helps them choose right from wrong. When life gets tough, thinking of God can give comfort and hope.

Learning Through Stories

Religious books are full of stories about God’s love and power. These tales teach kids about bravery, kindness, and honesty. They often look to these stories for lessons on how to live well.

Prayer and Strength

Praying to God is like talking to a friend. It can make you feel strong and calm. When you’re scared or sad, praying might bring peace and a sense of not being alone.

Belonging to a Community

Believing in God can connect you with others. Many gather in places like churches or temples to worship together. This can create a feeling of family and support among the people.

250 Words Essay on God’s Importance In Life

Learning right from wrong.

God is often seen as a teacher of what is good and what is bad. Different religions have their own rules that God has given them. These rules help people decide how to act and treat others. With God’s teachings, they learn to be kind, honest, and fair.

Finding Strength in Tough Times

Life can be hard sometimes. When people face problems, they may pray to God for help. They believe God listens and gives them strength to get through tough times. This belief can make them feel less alone and more able to handle life’s challenges.

Bringing People Together

Belief in God can bring people together. In churches, temples, mosques, and other places of worship, people gather to pray and celebrate their faith. This creates a sense of community and belonging, which is very important in life.

Hope for the Future

Thinking about God can give people hope for the future. They believe that God has a plan for them and that everything will work out for the best. This hope can keep them going when things are difficult and can inspire them to work towards a better future.

500 Words Essay on God’s Importance In Life

Many people believe in a higher power known as God. They see God as a source of strength, guidance, and love. In this essay, we will explore why God plays a significant role in the lives of believers.

Comfort in Tough Times

Guidance for right choices.

Every day, we make choices. Some are easy, and some are hard. Believers turn to God for help in making the right decisions. They may read holy books, like the Bible or the Quran, to learn what God teaches about living a good life. By following these teachings, they feel they can choose the path that will make them and the people around them happy.

Feeling Loved and Valued

Everyone wants to feel loved. Believers find this love in God. They think of God as a parent who loves them no matter what. This love gives them confidence. It makes them feel important and valued. When they know God loves them, they also learn to love themselves and others.

Learning to Forgive

We all make mistakes, and sometimes we hurt others. God teaches about forgiveness. Believers try to follow this teaching by forgiving those who have wronged them. They also ask God to forgive their own mistakes. This helps them live without anger and bitterness.

Building a Community

Believing in God often brings people together. They gather to worship, celebrate, and help each other. This creates a community where people care for one another. In this community, they share their love for God and find friends who support them in their beliefs.

If you’re looking for more, here are essays on other interesting topics:

Apart from these, you can look at all the essays by clicking here .

Faith, Hope, and Heaven on Earth

What makes love the greatest.

Haddon Anderson

Faith, hope, and heaven on earth.

Guest Contributor

What have Christians been known for in 2021? What has marked the church?

Jesus has commissioned his followers to represent him in this world. When nonbelievers look at our lives, we want them to see people distinguished by Christlike character. When they look at churches, we want them to see outposts of God’s heavenly kingdom, early installments of the new creation. And in particular, whether they look at individual Christians or churches, we want them to notice three dominant graces: faith, hope, and most of all, love.

The gospel creates people who are filled with faith in Christ, captivated by the hope of eternal life, and overflowing in love for God and neighbor. In fact, at least nine passages — scattered throughout the letters of Paul, Peter, and Hebrews — mention this trio of Christian graces (1 Corinthians 13:13; Galatians 5:5–6; Ephesians 4:2–5; Colossians 1:4–5; 1 Thessalonians 1:3; 5:8; Hebrews 6:10–12; 10:22–24; 1 Peter 1:21–22).

If you could travel back in time and ask New Testament believers how they live the Christian life, I expect that you would hear the same answer again and again: we aim to abound in faith, hope, and love.

Greatest of These

First Corinthians 13:13 is the most well-known passage that highlights this trio. Paul tells us, “So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.” His claim raises an important question: Why is love “the greatest” of these graces? After all, we are saved by grace through faith (Ephesians 2:8), and we continue to grow as believers through faith in Christ and his promises. Likewise, as we look forward to Christ’s return with eager anticipation, hope fills us with joy and empowers us to persevere through suffering (Romans 12:12). Yet Paul tells us that love holds the highest place in this holy triad. So why is love the greatest?

Let’s answer that question by approaching 1 Corinthians 13:13 in three contexts. We’ll begin with the larger context of Paul’s letters, then focus more closely on this section of 1 Corinthians (chapters 12–14), and finally zero in on the immediate context in 1 Corinthians 13:8–13. As we do so, my hope is that our hearts will be stirred up to love one another, so that our homes, our churches, and our neighborhoods would be saturated with love that spreads the fame of Christ.

Faith and Hope Produce Love

Several passages in Paul’s letters show us that both faith and hope produce love. We can see this connection between faith and love in Galatians 5:6: “In Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything, but only faith working through love .” Though we are justified by faith alone, the kind of faith that justifies never remains alone; it always works through love for others. God does not save us in order that we might remain indifferent to the needs of those around us. Rather, as the Holy Spirit begets faith in our hearts, he intends for that faith to produce countless deeds of love.

Similarly, the hope that is ours in Christ leads us to love one another. In Colossians 1:4–5, Paul tells the Colossian believers about his gratitude for them, “since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love that you have for all the saints, because of the hope laid up for you in heaven .” The Colossian Christians loved their fellow believers, Paul says, because they knew they had a glorious hope awaiting them in heaven. They knew they would spend eternity in the presence of Christ, and this hope freed them to give of their time, their possessions, and perhaps even their lives to serve their fellow believers.

Faith and hope are, in one sense, means to an even greater end, without which they would be incomplete: they transform us so that our lives overflow with Christlike love.

Love Builds Up the Church

Now we’ll narrow our focus to the section of 1 Corinthians in which Paul says that “the greatest of these is love.” In 1 Corinthians 12–14, Paul is teaching the church about spiritual gifts. As he sorts through issues such as the variety of gifts in the church and the use of what we might call “miraculous gifts,” his great concern is for everything to be done for the building up of the church. When Christ’s people meet together for worship, everyone may bring something to contribute with this goal in mind: “Let all things be done for building up” (1 Corinthians 14:26).

“What makes the difference between fruitless religious activity and church-strengthening service? Love.”

When Christians worship God together, it’s possible for them to exercise their spiritual gifts in ways that do not build up the rest of the body. God has no desire for the church to be filled with exciting manifestations that glorify those with the gifts but fail to edify the church. And what makes the difference between fruitless religious activity and church-strengthening service? Love.

Earlier in the letter, Paul wrote that “love builds up” (1 Corinthians 8:1). In the context of 1 Corinthians 12–14, Paul’s famous words about love in chapter 13 reveal that love is what makes the difference between Christians whose gifts build up the body and those who are just “a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal” (1 Corinthians 13:1).

Because Jesus loves his church with a love “that surpasses knowledge” (Ephesians 3:19), he desires for the members of his body to build up one another — and in order to do that, we need not only faith, and not only hope, but love.

Love Will Be Greatest for Eternity

A third reason why love holds the highest place in the trio of Christian graces is found in the second half of 1 Corinthians 13. In verses 8–13, Paul says that spiritual gifts such as prophecy, tongues, and knowledge are temporary provisions for the present age. In contrast, when he writes in verse 13 that “faith, hope, and love abide, these three,” he shows us that these graces are superior to the gifts because they will endure forever. In the new creation, we will continue to have faith in God and his promises, and we will continue to look forward to the future with hope. But most of all, the life of the new creation will be characterized by love, flowing through us from the God who is love (1 John 4:16).

“As followers of Jesus, we rejoice in the hope of spending eternity in a world saturated with pure love.”

In 1738, Jonathan Edwards preached a sermon entitled “Heaven Is a World of Love.” He pointed out that since heaven is God’s dwelling place, “this renders heaven a world of love; for God is the fountain of love, as the sun is the fountain of light. And therefore the glorious presence of God in heaven fills heaven with love, as the sun placed in the midst of the hemisphere in a clear day fills the world with light” ( Works , 8:369). Furthermore, “love reigns in every heart” in heaven, as the saints abound in love for God and for one another (8:373).

As followers of Jesus, we rejoice in the hope of spending eternity in a world saturated with pure love. And as our lives are filled increasingly with love here , we reflect the new creation in the present, and our churches fulfill their callings as outposts of the kingdom of heaven. Our lives and our churches spread the sweet aroma of heaven as we love God and one another, for “faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.”

New Resources in Your Inbox

A digest from Desiring God

What Is the Law of Christ?

What Makes God Happiest?

1000-Word Philosophy: An Introductory Anthology

Philosophy, One Thousand Words at a Time

Authors: Michael Milona and Katie Stockdale Categories: Ethics , Epistemology , Philosophy of Religion , Social & Political Philosophy Word Count: 994

Hope is ubiquitous: family members express hope that we find love and happiness, politicians call for hope in response to tragedies, and optimists urge people to keep their hopes up. We also tell ourselves to maintain hope, to find it, or in darker moments, to give it up. We hope for frivolous things, too.

But what is hope? Can hope be rational or irrational? Is hope valuable? Is it ever dangerous?

This essay reviews recent important answers to these questions with the goal of better understanding hope. [1]

Karl Robert Bodek and Kurt Conrad Löw, One Spring, Gurs Camp, 1941

1. what is hope.

The typical starting point for analyzing hope is that it involves a desire for an outcome and a belief that the outcome’s occurring is at least possible . The sense of possibility isn’t merely physical possibility, for we can hope that, say, God perform some miracle that violates the law of gravity. Philosophers tend to think that a person can hope for anything they believe is possible (no matter how low the odds), though it is a separate question whether a hope is rational or not, and to what degree. [2]

But the belief-desire account of hope appears insufficient: we might desire an outcome, and believe that the outcome is possible, yet have absolutely no hope that it will happen! [3] A prisoner facing execution may desire a pardon, believe that a pardon is possible , yet be altogether hopeless that he will be pardoned. [4]

Hope, then, requires more than a desire for something and belief in its possibility. What else?

Luc Bovens argues that hope also requires positive conscious thoughts or “mental imaging” about the desired outcome: basically, fantasizing about the desired outcome occurring. [5] The prisoner facing execution thus hopes for a pardon only if he has pleasant thoughts or imaginations about being pardoned. If hope involves, beyond belief and desire, pleasant thoughts about the outcome occurring, we might be able to distinguish being hopeful for something from being hopeless about it: hope involves pleasant thoughts whereas hopelessness involves unpleasant ones.

Adrienne M. Martin questions whether Bovens’s view adequately distinguishes hope from hopelessness. She argues that a prisoner who is hopeless about the possibility of an overturned conviction may still desire the outcome, believe it possible, and fantasize about being pardoned. [6] To distinguish hope from hopelessness, Martin defends an “incorporation analysis” of hope: [7] the inmate incorporates his desire into his plans, believing that he has reasons to plan and act (e.g., with his lawyer) about the prospects of freedom.

But does hope really require that hopeful people believe that they have reasons to feel, act, and plan in accordance with their desire, as Martin’s view requires? Michael Milona and Katie Stockdale argue that it does not. [8] We sometimes wholly reject our hopes (e.g., to return to a previous bad romantic relationship), believing that that we have no reason for what we hope for. Rejecting a hope, or believing that we should not have that hope, does not mean that this hope is any less of a hope , contrary to what the incorporation analysis suggests: hopes we wish we didn’t have are hopes nevertheless.

Milona and Stockdale develop the idea that hope is akin not to a judgment, but rather, to a perceptual experience . Just as perceivers often judge their perceptions to be misguided (e.g., at magic shows), so too may hopers judge their hopes are misguided. Hope then involves, beyond belief and desire, a perceptual-like experience of reasons to pursue the desired outcome, or to prepare themselves for its possible occurrence. So, in hoping we may experience reasons to, say, return to an ex partner without believing such reasons exist.

In sum, there continue to be significant debates about the nature of hope, most notably what needs to be added to hope (if anything) beyond mere belief and desire.

2. The Rationality and Value of Hope

Hope is generally thought to be epistemically rational if one’s belief about the possibility (or in some cases, the specific likelihood) of the outcome is correct in light of the available evidence. [9]

Hope may be practically rational in a variety of ways as well. Hope is thought to contribute to well-being, motivate the achievement of goals, and inspire courageous action, among other things. [10]

Beyond epistemic and practical rationality, some hopes may even be rational because they are constitutive of who we are (e.g., a member of a certain religion), and to lose such fundamental hopes would be to lose part of our identity. [11]

3. The Dangers of Hope

Hope is not without risks.

Thwarted hopes can result in strong feelings of disappointment. Hope may also be a source of wishful thinking, leading people to see the world as tilting in their favor despite the evidence. [12] For example, hope that the problems of climate change will be effectively addressed might lead someone not to bother with climate change activism or to take any personal responsibility to work to mitigate it.

Hope can also be exploited, such as when politicians take advantage of the hopes of people in positions of powerlessness. For example, people who desperately hope for greater economic security may be influenced to accept policies that primarily serve the politician’s own ends rather than the people’s.

These and other dangers of hope might lead us to explore alternative emotions to hope. Stockdale argues that in the face of persistent injustices, bitterness (i.e., anger without hope) might be a justified emotional response. [13] The relevance of hope to politics and society has also inspired investigation of whether hope is a democratic or political virtue [14] and whether a form of radical hope is needed in the face of cultural devastation and other severe hardships. [15]

4. Conclusion

In a world where our needs and desires are so often met with uncertainty, hope tends to emerge. Philosophy has much to contribute to understanding this phenomenon, and the potential value and risks of hope to all aspects of our lives: personally, socially, morally, intellectually, religiously, politically and more.

[1] Only recently have philosophers given the topic sustained attention. Some discussions of hope are found in the philosophy of religion (see Augustine, c. 420 [1999]), in existentialist writings (see Marcel, 2010), and in bioethics (see, e.g., Simpson (2004); Murdoch and Scott (2010); McMillan, Walker, and Hope (2014)).

[2] See Chignell (2014) for a discussion of Immanuel Kant’s defense of the rationality of hoping for miracles, divine grace, and a truly ethical society.

[3] Despair has long been considered to be the attitude which is the opposite of hope. This view traces back to St. Thomas Aquinas who argues that despair is the contrary to hope insofar as it implies “withdrawal” from the desired object while hope implies “approach” ( Summa Theologiae II-II.40.4).

[4] The claim that the standard account fails to distinguish hope from hopelessness (or in his terms, despair) is due to Ariel Meirav (2009).

[5] Bovens (1999).

[6] Martin (2013, 18-19).

[7] Moellendorf (2006) defends a similar theory.

[8] Milona and Stockdale (2018).

[9] Martin (2013, 37).

[10] See Bovens (1999) and Kadlac (2015).

[11] Blöser and Stahl (2017).

[12] Bovens (1999).

[13] Stockdale (2017).

[14] See Moellendorf (2006) and Mittleman (2009).

[15] Lear (2006).

Aquinas, Thomas. [1485] 1948. Summa Theologiae . Trans. Fathers of the English Dominican Province. 5 vols. Benziger Brothers.

Augustine. [c. 420] 1999. The Augustine Catechism: The Enchiridion on Faith, Hope, and Charity . Trans. Bruce Harbert. Ed. Boniface Ramsey. Hyde Park, NY: New City Press.

Blöser, Claudia, and Titus Stahl. 2017. “Fundamental Hope and Practical Identity.” Philosophical Papers 46 (3): 345–71.

Bovens, Luc. 1999. “The Value of Hope.” Philosophy and Phenomenological Research 59 (3): 667–81.

Chignell, Andrew. (2014). “Rational Hope, Possibility, and Divine Action.” in Gordon E.

Michalson (ed.), Kant’s Religion within the Bounds of Mere Reason: A Critical Guide . Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, pp. 98-117.

Kadlac, Adam. 2015. “The Virtue of Hope.” Ethical Theory and Moral Practice 18 (2): 337–54.

Lear, Jonathan. 2006. Radical Hope: Ethics in the Face of Cultural Devastation . Cambridge, Mass: Harvard University Press.

Marcel, Gabriel. 2010. Homo Viator: Introduction to the Metaphysic of Hope . Updated ed. South Bend, Ind: St. Augustine’s Press.

Martin, Adrienne. 2013. How We Hope: A Moral Psychology . Princeton: Princeton University Press.

McMillan, John, Simon Walker, and Tony Hope. 2014. “Valuing Hope.” Monash Bioethics Review 32 (1–2): 33–42.

Meirav, Ariel. 2009. “The Nature of Hope.” Ratio 22 (2): 216–33.

Milona, Michael. 2018. “Finding Hope.” Canadian Journal of Philosophy , February, 1–20.

Milona, Michael, and Katie Stockdale. 2018. “A Perceptual Theory of Hope.” Ergo, an Open Access Journal of Philosophy 5.

Mittleman, Alan. 2009. Hope in a Democratic Age: Philosophy, Religion, and Political Theory . New York: Oxford University Press.

Moellendorf, Darrel. 2006. “Hope as a Political Virtue.” Philosophical Papers 35 (3): 413–33.

Murdoch, Charles E., and Christopher Thomas Scott. 2010. “Stem Cell Tourism and the Power of Hope.” The American Journal of Bioethics 10 (5): 16–23.

Simpson, Christy. 2004. “When Hope Makes Us Vulnerable: A Discussion of Patient-Healthcare Provider Interactions in the Context of Hope.” Bioethics 18 (5): 428–47.

Stockdale, Katie. 2017. “Losing Hope: Injustice and Moral Bitterness.” Hypatia 32 (2): 363–79.

PDF Download

Download this essay in PDF .

Related Essays

Is it Wrong to Believe Without Sufficient Evidence? W.K. Clifford’s “The Ethics of Belief” by Spencer Case

Epistemic Justification: What is Rational Belief? by Todd R. Long

Seemings: Justifying Beliefs Based on How Things Seem by Kaj André Zeller

Introduction to Existentialism by Addison Ellis

Happiness by Kiki Berk

Meaning in Life: What Makes Our Lives Meaningful? by Matthew Pianalto

Nietzsche and the Death of God by Justin Remhof

Pascal’s Wager: A Pragmatic Argument for Belief in God by Liz Jackson

Interpretations of Probability by Thomas Metcalf

About the Authors

Milona Michael is an Assistant Professor of Philosophy at Ryerson University. His principal research interests are at the intersection of ethics, epistemology, and philosophy of mind. michaelmilona.com

Katie Stockdale is an Associate Professor of Philosophy at the University of Victoria. Her research is primarily in ethics (especially moral psychology) and feminist philosophy. kstockdale.com

Follow 1000-Word Philosophy on Facebook and Twitter and subscribe to receive email notifications of new essays at 1000WordPhilosophy.com

Share this:, 11 thoughts on “ hope ”.

Pingback: Seemings: Justifying Beliefs Based on How Things Seem – 1000-Word Philosophy: An Introductory Anthology
Pingback: The Meaning of Life: What’s the Point? – 1000-Word Philosophy: An Introductory Anthology
Pingback: Meaning in Life: What Makes Our Lives Meaningful? – 1000-Word Philosophy: An Introductory Anthology
Pingback: Agnosticism about God’s Existence – 1000-Word Philosophy: An Introductory Anthology
Pingback: Pascal’s Wager: A Pragmatic Argument for Belief in God – 1000-Word Philosophy: An Introductory Anthology
Pingback: What Is It To Love Someone? – 1000-Word Philosophy: An Introductory Anthology
Pingback: Is Death Bad? Epicurus and Lucretius on the Fear of Death – 1000-Word Philosophy: An Introductory Anthology
Pingback: Is Immortality Desirable? – 1000-Word Philosophy: An Introductory Anthology
Pingback: Camus on the Absurd: The Myth of Sisyphus – 1000-Word Philosophy: An Introductory Anthology
Pingback: Nietzsche and the Death of God – 1000-Word Philosophy: An Introductory Anthology
Pingback: Online Philosophy Resources Weekly Update - Daily Nous

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

Notify me of new posts by email.

IMAGES

Essay on Faith
25 Bible Verses About Hope and Hopeful Scriptures
Write a short essay on God helps those who help themselves
Scripture for Today: Psalm 42 ~ Hope in God; for I shall again praise
≫ I Believe in God Who Helps Me Free Essay Sample on Samploon.com
Hope in God

VIDEO

Hope
I Hope God Is Working In His Heart #shorts #fyp #christian #trending #relatable
last hope god is great 👍
#hope God Is Your Only Hope In Life ❤️🙌❤️

COMMENTS

What Is So Important About Christian Hope?
Faith and hope, in my mind, are overlapping realities: hope is faith in the future tense. So most of faith is hope. The Bible says, "Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God" (Romans 10:17). This implies that hope, like faith, is also strengthened by the word of God. Hope comes from reading his precious and very great promises and ...
What Is Hope?
Hope is the good thing in the future that we are desiring. We say, "Our hope is that Jim will arrive safely.". In other words, Jim's safe arrival is the object of our hope. Hope is the reason why our hope might indeed come to pass. We say, "A good tailwind is our only hope of arriving on time.".
Your Hope Is As Alive As Jesus
He is alive. And here in verse 3, Peter connects this life, the God-man's life after death, witnessed by hundreds, celebrated at Easter, with your hope. Believer, if Jesus lives, you will live. God established and secured your hope when he raised his Son. Therefore, your hope is as alive as Jesus.
Theologies of Hope
More than half a century after his Theology of Hope, Jürgen Moltmann has written an essay, On Patience (2018), about two aspects of patience we find in the biblical traditions: forbearance and endurance. Writing as a 92-year-old, he begins the second paragraph of this essay on patience autobiographically: ... the God of hope opens us up for ...
What is the Christian's hope?
The righteous, who have this trustful hope in God, have a general confidence in God's protection and help (Jeremiah 29:11) and are free from fear and anxiety (Psalm 46:2-3). The New Testament idea of hope is the recognition that in Christ is found the fulfillment of the Old Testament promises (Matthew 12:21, 1 Peter 1:3). Christian hope is ...
10 Reasons to Hope (When All Seems Hopeless)
3. Hope lightens our darkness: Hope does not deny nor remove the reality of dark and painful providences. However it does shine a bright light into these valleys and points to the sunrise at the end of them. 4. Hope increases faith: Faith fuels hope, but hope also fuels faith.
Biblical Theism
Hope in God is the same as hope in Christ because "God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself" (2 Corinthians 5:19). God's promises are fulfilled in Christ. "All the promises of God in him are Yes" (2 Corinthians 1:20). Thus, "the Lord Jesus Christ" is "our hope" (1 Timothy 1:1). "Christ in you" is "the hope of ...
Volume 10
Volume 10.1. Essays On Hope. Spring 2023. Hope is a word we use regularly in daily life to describe an aspiration, a wish, a dream of something we long for in the future. To hope for something is to have a desire for that thing to come to pass. And while this definition certainly resonates with the biblical and theological usage of hope, when ...
What does the Bible say about hope?
Answer. The Bible has quite a lot to say about hope. Biblical hope has as its foundation faith in God. The word hope in English often conveys doubt. For instance, "I hope it will not rain tomorrow.". In addition, the word hope is often followed by the word so. This is the answer that some may give when asked if they think that they will go ...
Finding Hope in a Season of Longing
It serves as a beautiful example, demonstrating a three-step progression of lament, of what it looks like to embrace our pain and find hope in the midst of longing. 1. Tell Him. In Psalm 13:1-2, David expresses how he feels abandoned by God. Four times, he repeats the phrase "How long," revealing his frustration over the extent of God's ...
The Gospel Transforms Lives Through Faith, Hope, and Love
Faith in God finds its hope in spiritual realities, not the circumstances we see. Love for other believers in Christ is a central Christian virtue. 1 Corinthians 13 guides us in the type of love ...
The Power of Hope
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, 5 who by God's power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. 6 In ...
How Hope Impacts Your Life
Because of all that lies ahead of you. Never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God (12:19). Why? Because God will set all things right. When your hope is in Jesus Christ, and in all that He holds in store for you, your hope will touch and change every area of your life! In which of these four areas (your work, your giving, your ...
100-Word Faith Stories: (Very) short essays about unexpectedly
These (very) short essays about unexpectedly experiencing God in the world today include feelings of joy, ... "Our Hope is in Christ" USCCA International Conference August 2-4, 2024 @ DePaul ...
Hope in God in Hopeless Times
Hope is for now, it is for today, and it is for tomorrow too. Jesus clearly tells Christians that He will never leave us, never forsake us, and will never, ever cast us away (John 6:37). This promise is for tomorrow morning, next week, and next year. This hope is the believer's hope that covers their entire life.
The Secret to Living Hope in the Face of Death
A clear diagnosis of the problem beneath our problems prepares us for the only worthy cure for what ails us. Honesty about death is the only sure path to living hope—hope that can weather the problems of life under the sun. We must compare our problems with death so we can compare our problems with glory. Beyond Comparison
3 Reasons for Hope in the Face of Grief and Worry
1. Our Times Are in God's Hands. But I trust in you, O Lord; I say "You are my God.". My times are in your hand; rescue me from the hand of my enemies and from my persecutors! Make your face shine on your servant; save me in your steadfast love!
What Does the Bible Say About Hope In God?
Romans 5:1-21 ESV / 2 helpful votesHelpfulNot Helpful. Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing ...
Six Important Links to the Meaning of Hope
Romans 15:13, May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope. 1. Link Between Gratitude and Hope. Gratefulness looks back. Hope looks forward with desire and reasonable confidence and expectation. By looking back, gratitude fuels forward-looking hope.
Essay on God's Importance In Life
This hope can keep them going when things are difficult and can inspire them to work towards a better future. 500 Words Essay on God's Importance In Life Understanding God's Role. Many people believe in a higher power known as God. They see God as a source of strength, guidance, and love. In this essay, we will explore why God plays a ...
Essay On Importance Of Faith And Hope
The Importance of Faith and Hope. Whenever we listen to any religious speaker we are sure to hear the word "faith", and then "hope" at some other times, while these two words are so commonly used by all of us. Even within the self-help activities and sessions, these two words are used on a regular basis. Still, it is an irony that most ...
Faith, Hope, and Heaven on Earth
In Colossians 1:4-5, Paul tells the Colossian believers about his gratitude for them, "since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love that you have for all the saints, because of the hope laid up for you in heaven .". The Colossian Christians loved their fellow believers, Paul says, because they knew they had a glorious hope ...
Hope
This essay reviews recent important answers to these questions with the goal of better understanding hope. [1] Karl Robert Bodek and Kurt Conrad Löw, One Spring, Gurs Camp, 1941 ... for we can hope that, say, God perform some miracle that violates the law of gravity. Philosophers tend to think that a person can hope for anything they believe ...