“HOPE”
Text: Jeremiah 29:11-14
For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end. (a future and a hope.) NKJV
Then shall ye call upon Me, and ye shall go and pray unto Me, and I will hearken unto you.
And ye shall seek Me, and find Me, when ye shall search for Me with all your heart.
And I will be found of you, saith the LORD: and I will turn away your captivity, and I will gather you from all the nations, and from all the places whither I have driven you, saith the LORD; and I will bring you again into the place whence I caused you to be carried away captive.
Scripture Reading: Jeremiah 31:3; Psalm 31:24; 130:7; 131:3; Mark 5:25-28; Romans 5:8; Hebrews 13:5-6
Introduction:
Hope, we all hope for something from time to time. We may hope for a new article of clothing to ware or a new tool to use in the shop, maybe a new vehicle or house whatever it maybe we all hope for things. There is nothing wrong with hoping for this things but as Christians our hopes should be far greater than material things. Our hopes should be on the Heavenly things. Matthew 6:21-24 says: “For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light. But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness! No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.” Yes. “We need things to live and God provides these things for us; but acquiring things when they capture your heart,divide your mind, and control your will; and the result of this is worry. The solution is to put God first and start living with eternity’s values in view.” (Warren W. Wiersbe) If we as Christians would hope for things in this prospective it would save us from a lot of sleepless nights, lesser physical problems, and our bodies would not age as fast as it does now.
Let us take a look at the what, when, where, and how of hope.
I.What is hope?
Hope is to want or wish for something with a feeling of confident expectation. To hope against hope means to continue hoping for something even when it may be in vain. (Webster Dictionary)
I believe that a lot of people’s hope is against hope. It is wishful thinking. Hebrews 11:1 says: “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” We have probably all look at this verse as giving us the definition for faith, but hoped for, the evidence of things not seen, to me seems like a good way to define hope. The evidence of things not seen is like wishing for something that you do not have. Having it is believing but not having it and wishing you did is hope.
II.When should we have hope?
Psalm 131:3 gives us a very good answer. “Let Israel hope in the LORD from henceforth and for ever.” This verse here is speaking to Israel, but it can just as well be speaking to us. Hebrews 13:5 and 6 speak that we should be hopeful in our conduct. “Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, ’I will never leave you nor forsake you.’ So we may boldly say: ’The Lord is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?’” (NKJV)
III.Where should our hope be?
Psalm 130:7 says: “Let Israel hope in the LORD: for with the LORD there is mercy, and with him is plenteous redemption.”
IV.How should we hope?
Mark 5:25-28 gives us a good example of hope we should hope. “And a certain woman, which had an issue of blood twelve years, And had suffered many things of many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was nothing bettered, but rather grew worse, When she had heard of Jesus, came in the press behind, and touched his garment. For she said, If I may touch but his clothes, I shall be whole.”
Also Psalm 31:24 tells us how we should hope. “Be of good courage, and he shall strengthen your heart, all ye that hope in the LORD.”
Conclusion:
The greatest hope ever is found in Romans 5:8 “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” Jeremiah 31:3 says “The LORD hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with loving kindness have I drawn thee.”
