Having hope in the New Year? At the end of every year I seem to have an abundance of thoughts that race through my mind. It’s usually a mix of memories from the past year, like things that I’m thankful for, things I’ve learned from and resolutions for the next year. This year seems to be no exception, I have plenty of thoughts about the last year and ideas for the new one racing in my mind, maybe even more than usual. The new year often produces a lot of mixed feelings in people. However, one thing I’ve observed during my 40 plus short years on this earth is the need for humans to have hope.
What is Hope?
According to Merriam-Webster, hope implies little certainty but suggests confidence or assurance in the possiblility that what one desires or longs for will happen. This reminds me that hope gives confidence. It helps us have courage and pushes us along when the going gets tough. It is not merely an object of affection, it is a necesseary God-given expectation that something good is coming.
I recently read an article titled, “The Power of Hope“, by Dale Archer M.D. In this article, he states: “If I could find a way to package and dispense hope, I would have a pill more powerful than any antidepressant on the market.” He goes on to say that: “Hope is the belief that circumstances will get better. It’s not a wish for things to get better- it’s the actual belief, the knowledge that things will get better, no matter how big or small.“
He goes on to say that the most important things to having hope and emerging a survivor in tough times are faith, gratitude and love. He may be an M.D., but I think there is a sermon in there. Click “The Power of Hope“ to read the rest of his article.
When it comes down to it, the hope that many professionals describe as making a real difference in the lives of people under their care is not just wishful thinking or mere optimism as the world often defines it. It is a belief. A biblical meaning of hope can be defined as “the sure and confident expectation of receiving what God has promised us in the future”. (ref. gotquestions.org) There’s a lot to be said for positive thinking, but having hope in the biblical sense is much more.
What is your Hope in?
People can hope for many things, but many times what we call hope is simply wishful thinking. In our flesh, we can wish for a lot of things, they may or may not happen and they may or may not even be good for us. We can hope to win the lottery or put our trust in the stock market for example, but these are things we have little or no control of. The Bible wisely tells us not to fix our hope on the uncertainty of riches, but on God in 1Timothy 6:17 (NASB).
Some people put their hope and trust in their relationships with others. If you hope for others to make you happy or to fulfill a desire of yours, your hope is misguided. There is a good chance disappointment is in your future. Mankind is not perfect.
Sometimes people place hope in politcal leaders to make things better in their country or communities. While God can certainly use man to better world conditions, our hope should never be in man alone. God’s word tells us, “it’s better to trust in the Lord, than to put confidence in man.” Psalm 118:8 (NKJ)
What we hope for, and who or what we put our trust in says a lot about us. In fact, where our hope lies reveals what or who we have faith in. Remember, hope is a desire with expectation. I’m sure that everyone reading this has been disappointed in their life at some point in time or another. When you hope for something that just doesn’t come to pass or turns out differently than you expected, it can certainly bring disappointment. This means, by the way, that you’re alive. We’ve all been there in varying degrees.
The Author of hope.
So where can we find hope? The Bible tells us that God is the “God of Hope“ (Romans 15:13). God created all things, including hope. So, if you’re in need of some hope, look no further than the Creator. As believers, we have hope in the many promises made to us in God’s Word. These are promises of eternal life, His protection, the hope of His return and more. Read more scriptures on the promises of God here at biblestudytools.com.
It’s impossible to have hope in God without faith. “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen”. Heb. 11:1 (NKJ) The Bible tells us that faith, or believing, comes from hearing the word of God. If you’re in need of some hope this new year, I encourage you to read or listen to the Bible. There are many scriptures on this topic.
“Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer“ Romans 12:12
“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
“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 (NIV)
God wants us to be a people full of hope. Some of you may be going through the most difficult time of your life and find it hard to hang on. If Jesus is your savior, you have hope. Don’t give up. There is no hope in this world apart from Jesus. He is the hope of the world. To listen to a message on hope, click here: “Jesus, the Hope of the World” by Rev. Billy Graham.
Need Help?
If you have not decided to put your trust in the Lord Jesus, there is no time like the present. One of my favorite qoutes I actually got from watching Kung Fu Panda. I don’t believe they mentioned God in the movie, but it originally has God in it.
If you’re in need of some hope this new year, why not try turning to God. Call upon some divine help. On top of that, find others that have hope. Surround yourself with positivity. If there are people in your life that are always bringing you down with negativity, it might be time to rethink your circle. True friends should encourage each other and lift one another up. If you have a spouse or someone in your life that is in need of some hope, draw close to the Lord and you can be a light in their life.
“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” Romans 15:13
*The Hebrew word for hope is “tikvah”. According to the Strongs Concordance it means: “expectancy, thing longed for” and “rope”, or “cord”. To study more on this, here is a link to a brief and interesting article I found to help you get started, ourancientpaths.org.
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