Biblical Hope By: Michael Youssef, Ph.D. Many Christians feel helpless and hopeless as they see the condition of our world today. They have become resigned to the state of society’s moral decay. They are overwhelmed by the sinfulness surrounding them. Yet the Bible teaches us that Christians should be the most hopeful people on earth. Paul encourages us, “Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer” (Romans 12:12). As a Hebrew, Paul would have been grammatically inclined to place the most important idea at the end of the sentence. Paul is essentially saying that when we persist in prayer, we will not only be steadfast during the tough times, but we will rejoice in hope. Paul is not talking about temporary optimism or positive thinking. He is saying that persistent prayer leads to a truly optimistic, hope-filled outlook on life. Prayer puts things in an eternal perspective. Through prayer, the Holy Spirit can show us how God views our circumstances, rather than our faulty, pessimistic attitudes. Only through an ongoing fellowship with God can we find the joy of biblical hope. Biblical hope comes from knowing who we are in Christ and that we belong to Him. Biblical hope comes from the absolute confidence and trust that God has our best interests in His heart. When we are filled with biblical hope, we wake up each morning with enthusiasm, eager to see how God is going to meet our needs, how He is going to walk with us that day, and how He is going to use us mightily for Him.
Posted on: Sun, 13 Jul 2014 12:21:06 +0000
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