What the Bible Says About Hope

What we hope for may be small or great, consequential or inconsequential. Hope may be as insignificant as a trivial dream for a birthday gift. Or it may be a forever kind of hope. For a prisoner on death row, a pardon offers hope of freedom. For the spiritual prisoner on death row because of the consequences of sin, God offers ultimate hope by forgiving our sins so that we can be with him forever.  

When life seems impossible, God brings eternal hope. Hope is essential to our perseverance, our getting through the tough times. Without hope we give up. Hope requires one thing, though—a trust in the One who brings real hope. Real hope is not wishful thinking about what isn’t, but a prayerful claim for who God is and what he will do for us. 

What is my hope? Where does hope come from?

PSALM 39:7 | And so, Lord, where do I put my hope? My only hope is in you.

PSALM 71:5 | O Lord, you alone are my hope. I’ve trusted you, O Lord, from childhood.
The Lord himself is the source of greatest hope. Only when you trust him with your future can real hope begin to grow in you, because he created you with a great future in mind, both on this earth and for all eternity.

1 PETER 1:21 | Through Christ you have come to trust in God. And you have placed your faith and hope in God because he raised Christ from the dead and gave him great glory.
The resurrection, the greatest event in history, is the foundation of hope. It should impact how you live each day.

How does hope help me live better today?

PHILIPPIANS 3:13-14 | I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.

1 JOHN 3:3 | And all who have this eager expectation will keep themselves pure, just as he is pure.
Hope is the motivating factor to help you resist temptation and keep your life pure before God.

What can I do when things seem hopeless?

1 SAMUEL 1:10 | Hannah was in deep anguish, crying bitterly as she prayed to the Lord.
You can pray. In the middle of Hannah’s hopelessness, she prayed to God, knowing that if any hope were to be found, it would be found in him.

ACTS 16:24-25 | The jailer put them into the inner dungeon and clamped their feet in the stocks. Around midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God.
You can worship. Paul and Silas were on death row for preaching about Jesus, yet in this hopeless situation they sang praises to God. Why? Because they had an eternal perspective.

PROVERBS 10:28 | The hopes of the godly result in happiness, but the expectations of the wicked come to nothing.
You can focus on eternity. No matter how hopeless things seem here on earth, in Jesus you have ultimate, eternal hope. People who don’t know Jesus Christ have nothing but a hopeless view of what happens after death. Those who know him have been promised a joyful eternal future in heaven, and that knowledge brings hope.

PSALM 27:14 | Wait patiently for the Lord. Be brave and courageous.
You can remember that God’s timing is perfect.

How can I maintain hope in discouraging circumstances?

ISAIAH 26:3 | You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you!

MATTHEW 6:31-33 | “So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’ These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.”
Focus on God. Keep praying. You’ll discover God’s peace.

ROMANS 12:12 | Rejoice in our confident hope. Be patient in trouble, and keep on praying.
Remember God is sovereign and loving. Be patient and prayerful. You’ll discover the joy of knowing he cares for you.

PSALM 31:24 | So be strong and courageous, all you who put your hope in the Lord!
What plans does God have for me? How is hope involved in God’s plan for me?

JEREMIAH 29:11 | “For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.”

How can I keep hoping when God never seems to act?

PSALM 71:5 | O Lord, you alone are my hope.
Who but God controls the future? Who but God has a home for us that is eternal? Who but God forgives our sins? Who but God can give us a life that lasts forever? No wonder he is our hope!

ROMANS 8:24 | We were given this hope when we were saved. (If we already have something, we don’t need to hope for it.)
Salvation comes through trust in Christ, believing he will do for us what he has promised. Hope is expecting that he will give us everlasting life and that we will live with him forever. We can’t see these things, but we can hope with assurance, for our hope is built on a trust in the most trustworthy one of all.

HEBREWS 11:1 | Faith shows the reality of what we hope for; it is the evidence of things we cannot see.
We have faith in God to do what he has promised, and we can be absolutely sure that he will. So our hopes are not idle hopes, but they are built on the solid foundation of his trustworthiness.

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