“And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.” 1 Corinthians 13:13

“I hope it doesn’t rain today.” - ”I hope Alabama wins the softball college world series tonight.” - ”I hope my favorite store puts that dress on sale.” – “I hope we get to go on vacation this year.” – These are all examples of how most people use the word hope. Yet, hope is something much deeper than a friviolous wish. In Romans 8:24-25, the Bible indicates that hope in these earthly things is not true hope.

²⁴ 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? ²⁵ But if we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly wait for it with perseverance. (NKJV

The Greek Lexicon has a definition for the word hope in the verse 1 Corinthians 13:13 that says hope is “joyful and confident expectation of eternal salvation.” Biblical hope is something that we can expect to happen. To me, hope is a Biblical concept that gives me confidence like no other.

Romans 5:1-5 explains the concept of hope:

Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have^[a]peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, ² through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. ³ And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; ⁴ and perseverance, character; and character, hope. ⁵ Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us. (NKJV)

Hope is something we rejoice in and something that grows in us. We have access to hope through Christ. So what do we have hope in? Eternal life and salvation (1 Thessalonians 5:8. Titus 1:2, Titus 2:7).

Today, I am thankful for Biblical hope and the confidence it gives to the Christian. It’s not something we are confident in because of what we have done but because of what He has done for us!