– Expecting or trusting that something good will happen in the future –
Hope is an extremely powerful tool that God has given us. Hope is believing that our circumstances will get better. Sometimes we hope for something better tomorrow or something better next year. We can hope for a better gift at Christmas or something really nice for our birthday. All those things that we hope for help us persevere for the next day, week, month, or more; but if we only hope for temporary things (which eventually break, stop working, or get boring) then we are actually only living with small hopes.
God has told us that no matter what difficulties we face on earth, if we have made Him the Lord of our lives, then we will have an eternity with Him in the perfection of heaven. Can you imagine the most beautiful, fun, amazing place you have been to? God created this world that we know, and He said He has an even better world he wants to bring us to if we just follow Him! We have an amazing hope because of Jesus, and if we remember that hope, then we can persevere through anything.
Heaven will be amazing because Jesus is the fullness of joy, and we’ll be there face to face with Jesus! Our relationship with Him is a gift and we can open it even now. We can find such joy and hope in knowing that we have been created to have a relationship with Jesus. Our hope goes even further because we have also been given a purpose on this earth by the Maker of everything. You are special and you’re here for a reason. That is a great hope for the rest of your life!
“But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.” – Isaiah 40:31 (NIV)
Questions
- What are some things that you are hoping for right now?
- How does hope connect to perseverance?
- Talk about a time that it was helpful to have hope?
- What does God tell us we can hope for?
- How does hope in God’s word help us push forward with perseverance?
- What are some ways you can practice hope this weeks?
- What are some ways you have been able to develop hope?
