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

The unfolding of Your words gives light; it imparts understanding to the simple.
Psalm 119:130

“Hope” in the Bible doesn’t mean the weak sort of feeling we usually mean by this word (“I sure hope I don’t get run over by a truck!). As this word is used in the Bible it means “the joyful anticipation of what we know is about to happen.”

We hope for our home in heaven; in other words, we joyfully look forward to the home we know for certain is ours; we just aren’t there yet.

When we call the return of Christ our “blessed hope,” we are saying that we live in the joyous anticipation of His return. We don’t doubt it or “hope” it happens;  we joyfully look forward to it, because we know it’s about to happen.

God is the God of hope. He is the one who has told us what’s coming so that we can look forward to it with joyful anticipation, no matter what happens between now and then.

As I trust in His Word, I am filled with joy and peace, because I know what’s coming. We are full of hope; filled with the joyful anticipation of the fulfillment of God’s promises.

Lord Jesus, in a world of trouble, sickness, pain and uncertainty, I am filled with the joyous anticipation of what You have promised. I know it’s coming, and I quiver with excitement as I wait for it. Amen!

Pastor Dan Giles