Resting in Hope

It was recently brought to my attention that our everyday use of the word 'hope', is very different to the biblical definition of what the word hope really means.  We use it in phrases like 'hope you feel better' or 'hope you enjoy your day', when we really mean it as a wish of something we want to happen, but without any assured confidence that it will.  In other words, the worldly version is a hope-so, but God's version of hope is a know-so! According to Romans 8:18-25, hoping for something is a lot like having faith - in the things we cannot see yet, but trusting God while waiting patiently AND with an eager, expectant heart. 

Hoping God's way is a longing, but with confidence that it will happen - not just positive thinking, but confidently waiting for it to happen.

When I look at the many things in life that I have been hoping for, I must confess that they have really just been wishful thinking. I am now challenged to place my hopes in God, trusting that if they are in line with His will and purpose for my life, then I can find rest, while I wait with a quiet, but confident assurance that it will happen.

May the following acronym be a reminder to you of what hope really means...

H - Holding

O - On with

P - Positive, Prayerful

E - Expectation