dailywordofdestiny

For when God made a promise to Abraham, since He had no one greater by whom to swear, He swore by Himself, saying, “Surely I will bless you and multiply you.” And thus Abraham, having patiently waited, obtained the promise. For people swear by something greater than themselves, and in all their disputes an oath is final for confirmation. So when God desired to show more convincingly to the heirs of the promise the unchangeable character of His purpose, He guaranteed it with an oath, so that by two unchangeable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled for refuge might have strong encouragement to hold fast to the hope set before us (also Titus 1: 1-3). We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters into the inner place behind the curtain, where Jesus has gone as a forerunner on our behalf having become a high priest forever after the order of Melchizedek. … In Him (Jesus) we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of Him (God) who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of His (God’s) will, in order that we, who were the first to hope in Christ, might be for the praise of His (God’s) glory. And you were also included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed you were marked in Him (God) with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of His glory. … Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and His understanding no one can fathom. He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint (Hebrews 6: 13-20; Ephesians 1: 11-14; Isaiah 40: 28-3)

My husband and I were talking about the sudden death of a man who had no previous history of any major illness and I remarked, “None of us know the day or the hour that our life here will be over; all we have is this very moment” (see Luke 12: 40; 1 Thessalonians 4: 13-18). Throughout my years in healthcare, I have known many people who were suddenly faced with the loss of a loved one. I believe that the worst part of any death is if the deceased had not experienced the “blessed hope” of salvation and the guarantee of eternal life in and through Jesus, the Christ. There are millions in the world today who have not accepted the truth that Jesus is the way and the truth and the life and that no one comes to the Father except through Him (John 14: 6, 7) (also John 3: 16, 17; 5: 24- 27; 6: 40; 10: 28, 29; Romans 6: 23; Titus 3: 4-7; 1 John 5: 11, 12). I wonder about those who died in Japan and of them, how many were not prepared to face their final judgment? I wonder about those who are alive and if they have accepted Jesus as Lord and can look with hope to their eternal life after death. It should motivate each of us to take a look at where we are in our personal relationship with God.

So what is “HOPE”?

In the Bible, the word “hope” stands for both the act of hoping (Romans 4: 18; 1 Corinthians 9: 10) and the thing hoped for (Colossians 1: 5; 1 Peter 1: 3).

Hope does not arise from the individual’s desires or wishes but from God, WHO IS HIMSELF THE BELIEVER’S HOPE: “My hope is in You” (Psalm 39: 7).

Hope is a firm assurance about things that are unseen and still in the future (Romans 8: 24, 25; Hebrews 11: 1, 7).

Hope distinguishes the believer, in whom hope resides (1 Peter 3: 15; 1 John 3: 3) from the unbeliever, who has no hope (Ephesians 2: 12; 1 Thessalonians 4: 13).

Our hope comes from God, His grace, His Word, and His gospel (Colossians 1: 23).

Hope is directed toward God (Acts 24: 15) and Christ (1 Timothy 1: 1).

Hope’s appropriate objects are eternal life (Titus 1: 2; 3: 7), salvation (1 Thessalonians 5: 8), righteousness (Galatians 5: 5), the glory of God (Romans 5: 2), the appearing of Christ (Titus 2: 13), and the resurrection from the dead (Acts 23: 6; 26: 6, 7).

Some people hope that they will receive eternal life, but our certainty is based on God’s promise that He has given us eternal life through Jesus, His Son. Whoever believes in God’s Son has eternal life (John 6: 40). Eternal life is not based on feelings, but on facts. You can KNOW you have eternal life if you believe God’s truth! smile You don’t need to wait for eternal life because it begins the moment you believe. You don’t need to work for it because it is already yours. You don’t need to worry about it because you have been given eternal life by God Himself and it is guaranteed! Hallelujah!

Holy Spirit is God’s seal that we belong to Him and His deposit guaranteeing that He WILL DO WHAT HE HAS PROMISED. The presence of God’s Spirit in us demonstrates the genuineness of our faith, proves that we are God’s children, and secures eternal life for us (Ephesians 1: 11-14). Holy Spirit’s power works in us to transform us NOW (2 Corinthians 4: 16-18; Titus 3: 3-7) and it is a taste of the total change we will experience in eternity. Praise God for what we have now and for what we are able to look forward to (2 Corinthians 5: 1-5; Hebrews 11: 24-26; 2 Peter 3: 11-14)! The HOPE we have is not some vague feeling that the future will be positive, but it is the COMPLETE ASSURANCE within us of CERTAIN VICTORY THROUGH GOD! May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit (Romans 15: 13). There is a brighter day ahead…can you see it, do you believe it?

The LORD would say unto you…
“Waiting, trusting, and hoping are intricately connected, like golden strands interwoven to form a strong chain. Trusting is the central strand, because it is the response from My children that I desire most. Waiting and hoping embellish the central strand and strengthen the chain that connects you to Me. Waiting for Me to work, with your eyes on Me, is evidence that you do trust Me. If you mouth the words, “I trust You” while anxiously trying to make things go your way, your words ring hollow. Hoping is future-directed, connecting you to your inheritance in heaven. However, the benefits of hope fall fully on you in the present. Wait expectantly, in hopeful trust” (S. Young)