Hope

Hope

Hope is either dead and inactive or alive and powerfully active. If it is dead, you can still be happy on a human level, that is, be alternately satisfied and dissatisfied all according to changing circumstances.

On the other hand, if it is alive, it immediately produces joy, happiness, and boldness! Then there is no way it can be otherwise. It would be impossible.

In this context, it is not fitting to say “all things are possible,” precisely in this sense. It is so blessed that this is not possible. You cannot avoid rejoicing as truly as there is life in hope! “That you may abound in hope . . . .” Rom. 15:13.

If hope is at all alive, then joy is great. Moreover, hope abounds more and more as our eyes are opened to the exceedingly glorious hope we are called to, and to the riches of the glory of His inheritance among the saints. Eph. 1:18.

Where can we find reliable and thorough information about how great the glory is that we are called to, or in other words, everything that we have a right to hope for? In the Scriptures! Search, dear friends. Use the Bible concordance! It is the same as with the Bible. What is the point of having it if we are not using it?

Read everything about hope, joy, boldness, happiness, exultation, transformation, perfection, glory, growth, etc.

The more that you see what you can hope for, the more you will abound in living hope, and the greater your joy and boldness will become! Soon it will more than exceed everything you could imagine previously!

Joy in God will always be present in your heart through a constant renewal and increase of this living hope, and it will increase at the same time, beyond what you currently hope for!

This fullness of joy enables you always to be ready for every good work and ministry. And this will necessarily, almost automatically, cause everything in this world, both its glory and its annoyances, to become unspeakably small in your eyes.

But observe this: It is not because it has already become so glorious in your life that you rejoice so greatly in hope, but because it most assuredly (the “full assurance”) will become so exceedingly glorious if you give your all for this living hope, and be steadfast until the end!

Meditate on Hebrews 6:11 and 12.