I would like to talk to you about the forgotten fundamental of faith called hope. Many of those who many not have completely forgotten about hope may yet have a misunderstanding of it. As Brother Keith Moore has said, “Among many so-called word of faith people, hope has gotten a bad rap.”
I very much agree with something else Brother Moore has said. An in depth study and better understanding of hope has done more to aid my walk of faith than any other one thing.
The first thing you must realize about hope however is that there are two very different definitions of it. The modern vernacular that we deal with a lot is most definitely not the same as the Bible definition. When you hear someone say, “I sure hope I win the lottery,” what they really are saying and meaning is “I wish I would” or “I sure would like to” but they have no expectation that they really will win it when it comes right down to it.
The definition of real, Bible hope is “an expectation, an anticipation or confidence.”
Vine’s Expository Dictionary clarifies it even more as “favorable and confident expectation.” So, not only expectation but favorable expectation! I’m expecting something good! If I’m expecting something bad or destructive, now we are talking about fear and worry!
A lot of people think that you have hope but then that becomes faith so then you don’t need the hope any more. That’s not true at all. Faith and hope work together! Turn over to Hebrews 6: 11-15.
“And we desire that every one of you do shew the same diligence to the full assurance of hope unto the end: that ye be not slothful, but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises. For when God made promise to Abraham, because he could swear by no greater, he sware by himself, saying, Surely blessing I will bless thee, and multiplying I will multiply thee. And so, after he had patiently endured, he obtained the promise.”
Hebrews 6:11-15 KJV
Notice in verse 11 that hope is the whole way through the process “unto the end.” Then you mix faith and patience with it like father Abraham and you get what’s promised! But notice the purpose of hope in verses 18-19.
“that by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us: which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast, and which entereth into that within the veil;”
Hebrews 6:18-19 KJV
Hope is a sure and steadfast anchor to the soul during this process! Your mind, your will and your emotions may be throwing a fit about the promise not showing up yet but hope will provide an anchor for them!
Speaking of Abraham, our father and example in the faith, let’s look at how he depended upon hope. Turn to Romans chapter four.
“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.”
Romans 4:18 KJV
What does that mean, “against hope believed in hope?” Let’s look at a few other translations to get a more complete picture.
“[For Abraham, human reason for] hope being gone, hoped in faith that he should become the father of many nations, as he had been promised, So [numberless] shall your descendants be. [Gen. 15:5.]”
Romans 4:18 AMPC
“Even when there was no reason for hope, Abraham kept hoping—believing that he would become the father of many nations. For God had said to him, “That’s how many descendants you will have!””
Romans 4:18 NLT
“Against all odds, when it looked hopeless, Abraham believed the promise and expected God to fulfill it. He took God at his word, and as a result he became the father of many nations. God’s declaration over him came to pass: “Your descendants will be so many that they will be impossible to count!””
Romans 4:18 TPT
“Under utterly hopeless circumstances he hopefully believed, so that he might become the forefather of many nations, in agreement with the words ‘EQUALLY NUMEROUS SHALL YOUR POSTERITY BE.’” – Weymouth New Testament
And now look at what that kind of hope leads into in verse 19 . . . “And being not weak in faith!”
Don’t ever let anyone tell you not to get your hope up! No sir, no ma’am, jack your hope up high! As “word of faith” people, we don’t need to minimize hope, we need to enlarge it in our hearts and minds.
For an outstanding study on this subject, I highly recommend the message Faith for the Future by Brother Keith Moore! You can find it on his website: www.moorelife.org under “Word Supply.” Simply put that title in the search bar. If you would rather, you may simply call his ministry at 941-702-7390 and request that message. You will be very glad you did!