If I asked you to put your hope on a scale of 1-10, where would it be? I should first define "hope" for you so we are thinking of the same thing.
There are two primary understandings of the word hope. One is in the realm of possibilities such as: I hope this or that will happen. Example: I hope my house will sell soon! The other understanding of the word hope is from the perspective that we are confident of things that are not yet revealed to us. It is a certainty that God is going to bring about something in the future. Example: My future hope is secure. I know that I am going to be with the Lord when I leave this earth, it is my confident certainty or my hope that is what will take place.
Biblical hope is not based on pie-in-the-sky fantasy, it is based on a solid belief that God is exactly Who He says He is, and that His Word is true and trustworthy. Biblical hope is a confident expectation of things to come.
For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself also will be set free from its slavery to corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God. Romans 8:20-21 (NASB)
...because of the hope laid up for you in heaven, of which you previously heard in the word of truth, the gospel Colossians 1:5 (NASB)
The hope of the Christian is found in the cross of Jesus Christ. Because of the cross we have hope of an eternity without pain, suffering and sorrow. All the misery that we experience here on this earth is so temporary and yet we allow it to yank us around, and control our faith.
How often does your faith and hope hit the wall of trials? How recently have you been tempted to go back on your faith or been tempted to disbelieve that God is really in the midst of what you are in the middle of?
You will find yourself there more often than not if your hope is not fixed on the right thing, if it is not fixed on Jesus Christ. We get so crushed when our hopes are pinned on sinking sands. If you are putting your hope in a job, a retirement fund, a spouse, or any other person you can be dead sure that you will be sucked under along with your circumstances when things take that downward turn.
We are not intended to achieve the end here, it is only a stopping place on our journey to meet Jesus. Is He where you are focused? If your whole life directed toward Him? Are your thoughts, beliefs and desires - your heart- oriented heavenward? You see, faith and hope are not just things we possess, they are ways of life.
Paul and Peter, they didn't tell us to have hope, they told us to live the hope that is within us.
This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, a hope both sure and steadfast Hebrews 6:19