DAY 1 | DAY 2 | DAY 3 | DAY 4 | DAY 5| DAY 6| DAY 7| DAY 8| DAY 9
Hope Springs Eternal (Romans 15:13)
“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope” (Romans 15:13).
[perfectpullquote align=”full” bordertop=”false” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””]“[H]aving the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints” (Ephesians 1:18).[/perfectpullquote]The usual concept of “hope” is little different from a “wish.” Wishes are spirits of outcomes that may or may not be possible. In reality, a “wish” is not the same as a “hope.” A wish is merely a desire or yearning for something else; hope is a feeling that something desired may or will happen. A wish is a longing for something we think is better or will be more satisfying. Hope is a mature wish, a dim vision of the future you wished for, perhaps based on the slimmest of evidence. You can wish you will win the lottery, but you can only hope to if you purchase a ticket.
Looking at it that way, a hope is still a vague, uncertain mist. There is little substance to it. However, regarding the gospel, hope is concrete and sure; it is the other side of the faith coin:
“Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen” (Hebrews 11:1).
Human hope sounds like this:
“I hope Walmart has bathroom tissue.”
“I hope this devotional isn’t too long.”
“I hope I don’t go to that bad place when I die.”
Let’s examine our passages to understand the believer’s hope.
In Romans, Paul has just completed a lengthy explanation of the gospel of salvation and the Christian life. Now, he prays that they will understand the depths of salvation and its fruit in their life. God is the source of hope for everyone, Jew and Gentile alike. Believing brings joy and peace through the inner work of the Holy Spirit.
In Ephesians, Paul assures them of God’s choice of them for salvation, and presents the accomplishment of that salvation as a sure foundation for their future hope. This hope is a heart matter and must be revealed by God to those whom he called. It is wrapped up in the future as an inheritance obtained through the resurrection power in which we can now live.
This is all of God, not of us.
Personally, I would not invite someone to live in a house under which I by myself have built the foundation. Not being an architect or stone mason, I would not have much hope for the building’s future. Because salvation and the blessings it brings are all built by God, we can have a sure hope as we believe his word.
God has given us further assurance that our hope is not in vain: “In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory” (Ephesians 1:13, 14).
Therefore, “Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful” (Hebrews 10:23). Let us join in Paul’s prayer that we may all be filled with hope!
-Alan Allegra
