…when all around my soul gives way, He then is all my hope and stay.” – Edward Mote

Hope. We use this word so many times on a daily basis that I think it has begun to lose its meaning as it relates to our hope in Christ.

What does it mean to have hope and how does my hope in Christ change the way I live my life?

This is the word I chose to focus on as my one word for this year. I’ve begun to study and pray over this word as the Lord teaches me more and more about the depth of hope that can be found in Him.

What is hope?

To hope in something means to wait for, to trust in with full joy and confidence, to believe, to desire, to rely upon, and to look forward to. Hope is a longing, expectancy, and confidence in something.

Looking at Scripture, we see that hope is something that we have in Christ regardless of our circumstances: “but as for me I will hope continuously, and I will praise You more and more” (Psalm 71:14).

Hope is something that is firm and sure: “for this end we toil and strive, because we have our hope set on the living God” (1 Timothy 4:10).

It is not simply wishful thinking… instead it is assurance that is grounded in the finished redemptive work of Jesus Christ.

Hope is not just faith for today…it is faith for every single day on earth until our hope becomes a reality at the coming of Christ. It is faith in the future tense. True, life-giving hope brings us a deep sense of joy. Even through the darkness and struggles we know that the victory has already been won and we will not be overcome if we hold fast to our hope in Christ.

When my hope is founded in Christ I am finally able to be content in the unknown. With full assurance I am able to simply walk purposefully with God, trusting that he is directing my course, knowing that He is the one that is placing each foot down in front of me as I step in faith.

Oh praise the Lord that we can have this kind of assurance in Him!

He has proved Himself faithful over and over again. Praise the Lord for this hope we have in Him!

“And now O Lord, for what do I wait? My hope is in you.”

– Psalm 39:7