Hope is the word the Lord has been speaking to me this season. 

But what is hope really?
If you are anything like me, the meaning has been lost because it’s become and been used more as “wishful thinking”. Hope in the Bible however is confident expectation. It’s a trust that God is who He says He is, that He will do what He said He will do, and does not disappoint.

Last month I had read in Romans 8 and there’s a verse that says “hope that is seen is not hope at all” and at the time I had taken it as: that even though I don’t have many experiences to go off of regarding certain hopes in my life, I can still expect. But I’m me and I like to know things and I’m wanting the next 10 steps lined out for me. (Anyone else like that because if so, hi hello you have found your people haha.) Obviously God doesn’t always work like that — in fact, I’d say He rarely does. When I found myself just a few weeks after back in the same hopeless place, the Lord brought this to my mind again and it ministered differently. This time I took it as: hope that is constantly reassured and spoken into is not hope at all. Sounds harsh when writing it out I’m not going to lie but it actually gave me so much peace. If I am going to confidently expect God, to take Him at His word, to believe He will do what He has already said He would especially since He’s not man and cannot lie and no word will return to Him void, then I do not need to hear it a million times or see how He is moving. Granted, that’s not to say He won’t ever reassure or remind us of promises He’s given us but if we find ourselves no closer, can we still hope?
If we find ourselves in a season of uncertainty, can we still be confident?
Can we still be in expectation when nothing has changed or it’s even worse?
Can we still stand on what we have heard and do know?
Can we remain firm when no other words are spoken and God feels distant?
Can we hope without seeing, hearing, or understanding anything at all?

Speaking for myself, I fail at this. But when I put my eyes and confidence on Jesus, in His character of faithful and true, a fresh wind for hope just comes. And it spurs me on. Renewed to wait again and believe and expect – HOPE – again.
So may I encourage you not to give up hope even when it seems hopeless in the natural or disappointments have come because your “confident expectation” in Jesus will not be put to shame, you will not be left disappointed…He is the God of hope after all.

Hope again.
Expect again.
Dare to believe again.

“Such hope [in God’s promises] never disappoints us, because God’s love has been abundantly poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.”
‭‭Romans‬ ‭5‬:‭5‬ ‭AMP‬‬

“For we were saved in this hope, but hope that is seen is not hope; for why does one still hope for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly wait for it with perseverance.”
‭‭Romans‬ ‭8‬:‭24‬-‭25‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

“Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”
‭‭Romans‬ ‭15‬:‭13‬ ‭NKJV‬‬