{"id":1868,"date":"2023-10-30T12:53:30","date_gmt":"2023-10-30T16:53:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/christiansingeneral\/?p=1868"},"modified":"2023-10-30T12:53:30","modified_gmt":"2023-10-30T16:53:30","slug":"our-hope-is-certain","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/christiansingeneral\/2023\/10\/our-hope-is-certain\/","title":{"rendered":"Our Hope is Certain"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

Often, when I hear a biblical word used out of context with modern, cultural meaning attached to it, I think to myself, in the words of Inigo Montoya from \u201cThe Princess Bride,\u201d \u201cI do not think that word means what you think it means.\u201d<\/p>\n

One such word is hope, which today is used much like the word \u201cwish,\u201d as if there is something that we would like to see happen, but we really don\u2019t know if it will.<\/p>\n

In faith-sharing conversations, I will sometimes ask something like \u201cif you were to die today, do you know if you would go to Heaven?\u201d The response is often, \u201cI hope so.\u201d Then I am able to explain that that there is a way to KNOW so, to be certain \u2013 it\u2019s not a mere wish to be granted by a cosmic genie in a bottle.<\/p>\n

Biblically speaking, hope is certainty. Different words are used for hope throughout both the Old and New Testaments. The Hebrew word yachal\u00a0is used 48 times in the Old Testament, and in context, it represents expectancy or waiting on God, who we know will deliver. The second Hebrew word used in the Old Testament for hope is tiqvah, which literally means tension, as in a cord being stretched. This once again conveys the sense that something is inevitable. It may not happen in the time frame that we expect, but God WILL do it.<\/em><\/p>\n

In the New Testament, the Greek word elpis is used, which, a<\/em>ccording to Strong\u2019s Concordance,\u00a0means expectation, trust, and confidence. The understanding is that what is expected is guaranteed. One of the verses usually quoted as an example of this kind of hope is Hebrews 6:19, which states \u201cWe have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure.\u201d This imagery conveys the solid and trustworthy nature of Christian hope. It is indeed certainty.<\/p>\n

Another example of the use of the word hope in the modern context is in youth sports. A young person trying out for the baseball or football team might say \u201cI hope I make it.\u201d But with some action and commitment on their part \u2013 by practicing really hard and being consistent \u2013 the young person can have more confidence in making the team.<\/p>\n

For the believer, that action is placing our faith in Christ. Once we choose to follow Him, we have certainty. Another favorite Scripture reference to hope for many Christians is Hebrews 11:1: \u201cFaith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.\u201d I love that word substance being used for our hope \u2013 it conveys the solid nature of the reality of our certainty.<\/p>\n

Being able to make that decision often comes as a response of studying God\u2019s Word, which in the Old Testament, especially, we see tied to the use of the word hope. Not only do we have hope in God, we have hope in His Word. Psalm 119:114<\/a> is a great and well-known example of this use: \u201cYou are my refuge and my shield; I have put my\u00a0hope\u00a0in your word.\u201d<\/p>\n

That is why I believe it is so important to get God\u2019s Word into people\u2019s hands and hearts. Even in the midst of war and suffering and trials, individuals can find the hope that is an anchor for their souls in the Bible. At EEM, the ministry that I work with in Eastern Europe, we have many friends in Ukraine, especially, who have expressed how much they value their Bibles right now. They explain that nothing else can give them the hope they need to keep going \u2013 something solid and real to cling to beyond this world\u2019s shifting sands. <\/em><\/p>\n

So when trouble comes, we look for what\u2019s real, something to hang onto, and this is what biblical hope is \u2013 not some ephemeral fantasy. Because our hope rests in God and His Word, it brings peace. We are not promised comfort, wealth or lack of trouble \u2013 those are definitely things we might wish for. But in hope and the certainty we are guaranteed through Jesus\u2019 death, burial and resurrection, we have something so much greater to look forward to throughout eternity. Let\u2019s be about the business of sharing that hope with others \u2013 especially as the times in which we live seem more uncertain than ever.<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Often, when I hear a biblical word used out of context with modern, cultural meaning attached to it, I think to myself, in the words of Inigo Montoya from \u201cThe Princess Bride,\u201d \u201cI do not think that word means what you think it means.\u201d One such word is hope, which today is used much like […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1620,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1868","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"\nOur Hope is Certain<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Once we choose to follow Him, we have certainty.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" 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