The Living Hope

“For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for? But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it.” Rom. 8:24-25.

From the very beginning God's people have been a people of hope. When we talk of hope we are saying that somebody is looking forward to some desires with expectation. It's because the bible says “it is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the Lord.” Lamentation 3:26.
To the man in the world system, putting hope on the unseen is unnecessary, undesirable and unreasonable. The committed child of God however sees it differently . The believer takes joy in staking his or her hope/expectation on the unseen. Christ – the living hope will surely bring his expectation to pass if he fainted not.
I don't know what you are believing God for in 2011. It is important that you remain steadfast in your trust and hope in God to bring it to pass. God is not man that will fail. His promises are yeah and amen.

Have you been looking up to God for the fruit of the womb? Some had to wait for 20 years plus and have had their prayers answered. Have you been looking up to God for a good job. Some have had their prayers answered after years of hopeful waiting on the Living Hope. Are your enemies rejoicing over your fall? They shall be disappointed because you have hope . “Rejoice not against me, o mine enemy, when I fall…,”
Have you waited for years for a life partner without success? God will surely bring to pass his covenant promise that it's not good that a man or woman should be alone. All you need do is patiently hope on the Living Hope.

To hope is to make God the object of our hope. Biblical hope is certainty-a confident expectation of what God will and must do, no matter what happens in the future.
Believers expectation of what God will do, no matter how, is based on God's (i) past track record of faithfulness and promises (ii) God's integrity and ability to perform and deliver in spite of prevailing odds. (iii) God as a reliable source of hope. He is the anchor of our hope.
Unfriendly circumstances not withstanding, a child of God can rest his hope on God and wait patiently (Psm 37:7) for his expectations to be met. He must trust God and act on God's word to bring to fulfillment his expectation.
Hope in God can not be defeated by tribulations and challenges. Hope in the world system can fail woefully. For example, I hope it will not rain tomorrow, but just in case it rains, I will take my raincoat and boots . This is not staking trust in hope.

Biblical hope never fails. It grows from strength to strength with time; provided the believer's trust and faithfulness are firmly anchored on the word of God. Abraham and Sarah long past childbearing were not staggered by the promises of God to be a father and mother of all nations. Their hope was not dimmed by their long waiting for a child.
They knew God's word is settled in heaven, so they waited patiently for its fulfillment.

Biblical hope is a hope in God who cannot fail to bring His promises to pass. If the believer defaults, God can still fulfill his promise in his lineage to his children.
For example, God promised that a descendant of Adam and Eve would come and crush the head of the serpent in the way of the promised land, Canaan ( which is flowing with milk and honey). That a descendant of King David would rule forever . The promise of Jesus Christ's second coming to rule for ever.
These are promises of God for which His people are awaiting fulfillment. Most of these promises have been fulfilled with time.

Those who first received these promises rarely saw their fulfillment. This means God's promises are future oriented. They are not necessarily for the present. They may or may not be fulfilled in your life time. It's good to pray and wait on the Lord to see their fulfillment or part fulfillment.
The willingness to walk by God's promises and not by circumstances is an inspiration to believers to persevere (Heb. 12:1-3) in the face of adversity. Hope in God is teaching us to persevere in trials knowing that all things will work together for your good eventually if you faint not.

When you hope in God, inevitably you look into the future , because it's not those who first receive prophesies and promises of God that witness their fulfillment. Prophesies you received may be fulfilled in the lives of your grand children, if not in the lives of your children. It may not even be in your life time, but it will surely come to pass if you hopefully persevere.