A study on hope

Today I thought I would do a little study on hope. It seems to me that in today's society people just bandy that word about, but I don't think that people really know what hope is. We will start with Webster's Definition of hope.

Hope -intransitive verb

1

: to cherish a desire with anticipation <hopes for a promotion>

2

archaic : trust

transitive verb

1

: to desire with expectation of obtainment

2

: to expect with confidence : trust

— hop·er noun

— hope against hope

: to hope without any basis for expecting fulfilled

Notice here that hope is listed in both cases as a verb, and can be both transitive and intransitive. 

Now let's look at some Verses in the Holy Scriptures about hope.

Psalm 71:14 But I will hope continually, and will yet praise thee more and more.

Here the Psalmist is performing an action. He is hoping continually, Notice he does not say that he is hoping some of the time, or when he feels like hoping, or when things are going great. He says that he will hope Continually. We could all take a lesson from this. Then notice that there is a second action that he does, He says that he will yet praise thee more and more. The two go hand in hand. Hope produces praise. I would urge you, if you are putting your hope in something of this world, think about it, and place your hope in the only one who can be our source of hope. 

Now let's look at another scripture that speaks of hope.

Proverbs 13:12 Hope deferred maketh the heart sick: but when the desire cometh, it is a tree of life.

What does this verse say that hope deferred does? Makes the heart sick! This is very dangerous territory to be in. Hope deferred causes us to travel the long dark path which leads to depression, and if not looked at through the Lens of God, and left untreated and to itself, can lead to death. This is an area that I feel 100% comfortable talking to you and teaching you about, some of you know, some do not, that I struggle with depression in my life. This is a great verse to combat that. Take it, memorize it, and repeat it to yourself in times when you are starting to feel yourself tread down that path.

Our Final passage that we will look at today comes from Isaiah Chapter 40, verses 28-29

Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? there is no searching of his understanding. He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength.

Here we read that God, does not tire. He does not get weary, we are to Put our Hope In GOD, He will give us power when we feel weak, He will give us strength when our strength fails.

Heavenly Father, help us to remember that we are to continually put our hope in you, remind us that hope deferred makes the heart sick. Help us to trust in you and get our strength from you and our power from you when we feel weak and can feel the signs of depression and discouragement beginning to bear down on us. In Jesus Name we pray this. Amen