Hope Against Hope
What is Hope?
Hope is the Hebrew word Tiqvah meaning hope; expectation; something yearned for and anticipated eagerly; something for which one waits. Tiqvah comes from the verb Qavah, meaning "to tarry" or "to wait for" or "to look hopefully" in a particular direction, an expectation, something yearned for with anticipated eagerness. Hope, therefore, is not inferior to faith, but an extension of faith. Faith is the present possession of things hoped for, not yet seen, while on the other hand, hope is the confident expectation and accomplishment of things not seen. Therefore hope is not an optimistic outlook or wishful thinking without any foundation, but it is the confident expectation based on solid certainty. Scriptural hope consequently rests on God's promise and what He has said in His Word.
Hope comes through God's Word
"Who against hope believed in hope, that he might become the father of many nations, according to that which was spoken, So shall thy seed be. And being not weak in faith, he considered not his own body now dead, when he was about an hundred years old, neither yet the deadness of Sara's womb: He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God". Romans 4:18-20 Who against hope. Though an old man, and his wife an aged woman, far beyond the time of child-bearing, he yet believed the promise that he would have numerous offspring. The text above indicates that Abraham against hope believed in hope. What does this mean? Considering the text, it is evident that there were natural hope and supernatural hope in Abraham's situation. The natural hope is that which comes as a result of facts, all the arguments of sense, reasons and experiences that are obvious in the natural. Their situation however, was that of childlessness for Abraham and Sarah had long passed the age of Child bearing, but against this inducement to the contrary he believed in hope. In our discourse we will refer to the natural hope as negative hope. On the other hand the supernatural hope is that which comes as a result of God's Word, that enabled him to see beyond natural inducement and human grounds to God's all sufficiency, the hope of becoming a father of many nations, according to God's Word and by faith seeing the promise fulfilled in Sarah, his wife, this I will term Positive hope. Abraham and Sarah were well advanced in age, moreover Sarah had passed the age of child bearing (Genesis 18:11), a hopeless situation, indicated with all the available evidences. The situation gave them hope, the hope of impossibility that is, it cannot come about, it is too late, it is not your season. God spoke to Abraham promising him a son, with regards to this promise, hope was now born in his heart, hence the scripture lets us understand that against hope (negative hope) that natural hope, which are the arguments of the senses that sees it impossible. Abraham believed in hope (positive hope) that which sees it possible that what God has said will come to pass irrespective of the present circumstance (the deadness of his and Sarah's body).
You may possibly have lost hope in your situation, but you have to understand that one Word from God will change the situation for your good, for when everything else fails God's Word cannot fail, for God watches over His word to perform it, and His Word is forever settled in heaven. Consider this, Child of God, the scripture declares that "Abraham was not weak in faith, he considered not his own body now dead, when he was about an hundred years old, neither yet the deadness of Sara's womb: He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God; And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform. And therefore it was imputed to him righteousness, Romans 4:19-22.
You may possibly have lost hope in your situation, but you have to understand that one Word from God will change the situation for your good, for when everything else fails God's Word cannot fail, for God watches over His word to perform it, and His Word is forever settled in heaven. Consider this, Child of God, the scripture declares that "Abraham was not weak in faith, he considered not his own body now dead, when he was about an hundred years old, neither yet the deadness of Sara's womb: He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God; And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform. And therefore it was imputed to him righteousness, Romans 4:19-22.
Weak faith results from giving consideration or meditation to the circumstances that you are faced with, but in order to have strong faith you must stay focused on God's Word as the final arbiter for all life situations. Unbelief is at the bottom of our staggering at the promises of God, which is to be double minded and unstable in your heart. Strong faith is born as you stay focused on God's promises without wavering with an ardent persuasion that God is able to do exceedingly, abundantly, above all that we ask or think according to the power that works in us. God's Word brings hope to the hopeless in spite of the circumstance as the Word is received and acted upon.
The dilemma of most Christian people is that often times they have confessed faith in the absence of hope. It does not work that way, faith is the substance of the things hope for, there must be things hoped for, for faith to act upon in order to obtain what is hoped for. Like faith, hope must be based on God and His Word in order to achieve results, for when your hope is anchored on God's Word there will be a performance and a physical manifestation of the things hoped for. Understand then that hope seen is not hope. Hope being a firm assurance and expectation of things not seen, when something manifests it is no longer hope. Be hopeful in all situations for the Lord will see you through if you faint not.
Article Source: By Richard Onebamoi is a Pastor, International Speaker, Business Visionary and Success Facilitator. His mission is to inspire your performance, expand your imagination, cultivate your dreams, help you discover, develop and maximize your God given potential as he seeks to advance the plan & purpose of God on the earth. He is married to Catherine and they are blessed with four children and they reside in Brussels, Belgium in the heart of the European Union. He is also a the Founder and Senior Pastor of Living Stone Family Worship Centre Int'l http://www.livingstonworld.org and http://www.equipping-the-saints.blogspot.com and Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/454923
