Sermon and Worship Resources

Dictionary: Hope

Scope and Uses of the Word “Hope”

At times simply indicating a wish (2 Cor. 11:1), in the Bible the word “hope” most often designates a disposition of soul, the grounds for one’s hope, or the outcome for which one hopes.

Those whom God has helped and delivered expect to see God’s power again when future needs arise, knowing that in God there are reasons for hope. Mere optimism assumes that bad circumstances will improve with the passing of time. In contrast, hope assumes that God is faithful and is convinced that he is able to bring about his good purpose (Isa. 44:1–8). So at its core, biblical hope is hope in God, rooted in God’s covenant faithfulness (Ps. 62:5–8; Jer. 14:8; 17:13; Rom. 4:18; 5:1–5). Hope trusts God in the present and lives even now on the strength of God’s future accomplishments (Gal. 5:5; Heb. 11:1).

Both of the main OT words for “hope” (Heb. roots qwh and ykhl) are at times translated “wait.” By definition, hope means that God’s promised outcome has not arrived, and that some time will pass before it does. But that time is filled with a sense of waiting on God, often with a deep ache of longing for God to act (see Pss. 25:16–21; 39:4–7; Isa. 40:28–31; Lam. 3:19–24).

The inner disposition of hope may be seriously threatened by injustice and other devastating life experiences, as reflected in Job 6:8–13; 14:19; 19:10. The refrain of Pss. 42:5–6, 11; 43:5 is a psalmist’s self-exhortation to hope amid oppressive and depressing circumstances: “Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God.” Words for “hope” function similarly in other psalms of lament (Pss. 9:18; 31:24; 71:5, 14; cf. Mic. 7:7).

The OT usually locates individual hope within the horizon and limits of this world. One hopes for outcomes that may be realized in one’s own lifetime; indeed, when life ends, hope ends (Prov. 11:7; 24:20; Eccles. 9:4; Isa. 38:18). Proverbs that mention hope regarding someone’s character development show an underlying concern that God’s purposes be vindicated in one’s life (e.g., Prov. 19:18; 26:12). When used in conjunction with Israel as a whole, hope looks to a more distant future and coming generations.

In the NT, hope is closely associated with Christ and his saving work. Christians now live by hope in Christ (Eph. 1:12; 1 Pet. 1:3; 3:15); indeed, he is “Christ Jesus our hope” (1 Tim. 1:1), and his future appearing is “the blessed hope” (Titus 2:13). Thus, hope refers to eschatological glory (2 Cor. 3:11–12; Eph. 1:18). It is “the hope of the resurrection” (Acts 23:6; cf. 24:15; 26:6–9), our transformation into Christ’s likeness (1 John 3:1–3). That expectation stimulates various hopes for God’s plans to be realized in one’s own or others’ lives (1 Cor. 9:10, 13; Phil. 2:19, 23; 2 Tim. 2:25; 2 John 12). So hope is named repeatedly as an essential Christian attribute (Rom. 12:12; 15:4, 13; 1 Cor. 13:13).

Hope as a Biblical Theme

With the God of hope as its covenant Lord, hope is a defining reality for Israel and a persistent theme in the historical books (e.g., 2 Sam. 23:1–7; 2 Kings 25:27–30). Psalmists find hope either in continuity with present structures (Ps. 37) or in drastic change (Pss. 33; 82), such as personal or corporate restoration.

Judgment dominates the message of the preexilic prophets, although expressions of hope are also found. But Judah’s downfall in 587/586 BC marks a turning point in prophetic hope. While preexilic prophecy bases its indictment, appeal, and warning in the exodus and the covenant, Jeremiah and Ezekiel tend to redirect hope and expectation to a new work of salvation that God will accomplish through and after the judgment of exile (e.g., Jer. 31:31–34; Ezek. 11:16–21; cf. Isa. 43:18–19). In the wake of Judah’s destruction, these prophets grasp a remarkable new vision of grace and promise. Restoration will be personal as well as national; forgiveness of sin will enable obedience to God’s law, now to be found written on their hearts.

During the exile, collection of Israel’s sacred texts enabled the shattered community to sustain identity and hope. Postexilic prophecy is often “text prophecy” that arises from reflection upon and reapplication of written prophecies, psalms, and other scriptural texts. For example, the book of Zechariah (especially chaps. 9–14) alludes to many earlier writings and also moves toward apocalyptic literature, contributing dramatic new imagery of God’s conquest of evil to establish his cosmic reign and fulfill his covenant. Messianic hopes rose throughout this period, fueled by earlier prophecies (e.g., Isa. 9; 11; 65:17; Jer. 23:5; Mic. 5:2).

If the OT gives occasional hints of an afterlife, this hope becomes manifest in the NT (2 Tim. 1:10). Jesus promises the thief on the cross fellowship after death (Luke 23:43). For Paul, “to depart and be with Christ” is such a vivid hope that “to die is gain” (Phil. 1:21–24). Such texts imply that death ushers the believer into Christ’s presence. Yet this intermediate state is not the whole picture. We are saved in hope of the redemption of our bodies (Rom. 8:23–25)—our resurrection from the dead and entry into a new glorified, bodily existence (1 Cor. 15; Phil. 3:20–21).

Christ is judge as well as savior (Matt. 16:27; 25:31–46; Acts 17:31; Rom. 2:16), and the NT anticipates final judgment of all persons and powers arrayed against God, including sin and death (1 Cor. 15:24–26; 2 Thess. 1:5–10). Christian hope involves nothing less than the return and full revelation of Jesus Christ, the resurrection of the dead, and the renewal of all creation (1 Thess. 4:13–18; Rev. 21–22)—the complete vindication of God’s rule, secured already in Christ. Then God’s redeemed people will see his face and live in his presence forever (Matt. 5:8; Jude 24; Rev. 22:4). A vision of this future enables us to press on with hope, stretching toward what is to come (Phil. 3:13–14).

Antonyms: pessimism, despair, disbelief, distrust, doubt, fear, hopelessness, discouragement, abandon, depression, reality, fact, mistrust, despond, despondence, anguish

Showing 1201 to 1225 of 2322 results

1201. The Secret Of His Success

Galatians 2:11-21

Sermon

King Duncan

... . Then one day her mother said to her, "Marian, grace must come before greatness. Why don’t you think about this failure a little and pray about it a lot?" Later, Marian Anderson, who helped many another young singer survive the kind of despair she tasted in that first bitter defeat, said, "Whatever is in my voice, faith has put it there. Faith and my mother’s words: grace must come before greatness." (3) Grace does come before greatness-crucifixion before coronation. Paul had such great influence ...

1202. Narrow Doors-limitless Horizons

Luke 13:22-30

Sermon

King Duncan

... perhaps of eternal significance. But the decision to follow Christ is. There is a cross to shoulder and there is the burden of sin to be left behind. There is hatred and animosity to be shed and love and acceptance to be taken up. Meaninglessness and despair are to be no more. They are replaced with direction and positive faith. Van Varner, editor of GUIDEPOSTS, tells of a summer drive he and his godson David were taking in the Rocky Mountains. When they came to a sign that read "Continental Divide," David ...

1203. From Timid To Terrific

2 Timothy 1:6-8

Sermon

King Duncan

... , but we are afraid. The antidote, of course, as E. Stanley Jones says, is to increase the dosage. Keep loving until you reduce that door to splinters. Donald Nicholl tells of a man lying desperately ill in a hospital. He was terrified, confused, and in despair. His world had stopped. As Nicholl put it, "Nothing of his true self seemed to remain except a tiny particle the size of a grain of mustard seed. Outside that particle was chaos and darkness. Suddenly he heard a voice from the nearby corridor,`I ...

1204. I Should Have Written That "Thank You Note"

Luke 17:11-19

Sermon

King Duncan

... , however, to his wife, Kathryn. Kathryn Lawes treated the prisoners as human beings. She would take her three small children and sit with them, gangsters, murderers, racketeers and the rest, while they played baseball and basketball. She found a blind prisoner in utter despair, so she had him taught Braille and brought in Braille books for him to read. She learned sign language to talk with a deaf-mute prisoner. When people asked her if she was afraid she replied, “We care for the boys and they care ...

1205. Victory on a Broken Knee

2 Timothy 4:6-8

Sermon

King Duncan

... all who have longed for his appearing.” The secret of life is not where you begin but where you finish. Sometimes that means that you “keep on keeping on” even when it would be so much easier to simply throw up your hands in futility and despair and walk away. That means that you “hang in there” and “see it through” when a person of lesser determination, lesser courage, lesser character would “cut his or her losses” and seek to escape. That is true in a good marriage; it is true in raising ...

1206. Are You the One Who Is to Come?

Matthew 11:1-19

Sermon

King Duncan

... too long he was riding down the street on his pony. To this day he still doesn't know if that was his best Christmas or his worst. (4) You see, the pony was always coming. It was Lennie's impatience and uncertainty that drove him to the brink of despair. I've been there, haven't you? God doesn't work according to our time schedule, but according to His. And sometimes He doesn't appear to be working at all. But He is. He is. Certainly, he wasn't working according to John the Baptist's timetable. But he ...

1207. Finding Jesus

John 1:29-34

Sermon

King Duncan

... be baptized. It was then that the heavens opened and the Spirit descended like a dove and rested on Jesus. Sometimes it happens that way. Something dramatic happens and our lives are transformed. Working in a small town in Latin America, a woman felt despair. She was experiencing marital problems, as well as conflicts with people she worked with. Without warning, an earthquake struck one day. In those moments of panic and fear she ran with other people to the relative safety of a garden plaza as buildings ...

1208. Who's The Blind One Around Here?

John 9:1-12

Sermon

King Duncan

... do his volunteer work anymore. At that time the people at the Cancer Society discovered that their reliable driver was a blind man. Life has been full for Stanley Krawczyk. He has brought laughter and fun into lives that would have known nothing but despair. Not only have patients' lives been touched, but also all the volunteers that he has ministered to over the years. After forty years of helping people, Stanley says, "I count my blessings and thank God for allowing me to go blind. It was very difficult ...

1209. For Laughing Out Loud!

Genesis 18:1-15

Sermon

King Duncan

There are all kinds of reasons to laugh. Sometimes we laugh out of embarrassment. Other times we laugh because something is witty. There are times we laugh to cover our despair. I was reading recently about a man who awoke one morning to find a puddle of water in the middle of his king-size water bed. In order to fix the puncture, he rolled the heavy mattress outdoors and filled it with more water so he could locate the leak ...

1210. Whatever Became of Sin?

Romans 6:23

Sermon

Lowell D. Streiker

... of sin, attend Alcoholics Anonymous or any other 12-step group. Guilt leading to confession, restitution, reconciliation, growth, and renewal -- now there is an exciting concept. That is something worth sinning for! That is a concept of sin which, instead of plunging me into despair and depression, fills me with hope. WHAT'S IN IT FOR ME? And the payoff for keeping one's word, for accepting responsibility, for responding to others with love and concern? The pay off is that by living as though there is a ...

1211. Afraid Of The Water

Mark 1:9-13

Sermon

King Duncan

... town did that day has become a practice followed by every new Christian who is baptized. (6) They shout "Hallelujah!"; they join hands with their friends and dance. Why shouldn't they shout and dance for joy? A child of God has come from darkness to light, from despair to hope, from legalism to grace. Are you afraid of the water? Come on in. The water is fine. Have you forgotten the significance of your baptism? Baptism is a statement about what we believe, about who we are, and about what we are to do. 1 ...

1212. Aren't You Glad?

Mark 16:1-20

Sermon

Anne-Rose Reeves

... The eggs are indeed a symbol of new life. But the flowers will eventually fade and pass on, and new life isn't enough. Easter is old life made new, death made into life. Easter is broken relationships redeemed, grief forgiven, death sentenced to death, despair banished, depression turned into hope. Maybe today we should all go out there into the graveyard and erect a big sign that says, "Used tombstones for sale," because everyone whose body is buried there, the people you have loved and grieved over, your ...

1213. Advice For Soldiers At The Front

Ephesians 6:10-20

Sermon

King Duncan

... front line I had come." Have you ever been on the front line? Thankfully, most of us have never had to fight in an actual war. Every day of our lives, though, we are engaged in a war. It is a war of the spirit ” a war of hope vs. despair, love vs. hatred, right living vs. sin. We are on the front line and sometimes things look tough. Paul knew what it was like to be on the front line. Indeed, he was under arrest when he wrote to the believers at Ephesus. His own words were that he was ...

1214. Who Is He?

Mark 8:27-30

Sermon

King Duncan

... age of seventeen. She found her condition impossible to reconcile with a loving God. And for three years after the accident she was bitter and questioning. One night, one of Joni's closest friends was sitting with her and trying to help her through her despair. Something must have inspired her that evening, because all at once she said, "Joni, Jesus knows exactly how you feel ” you aren't alone in this ” He was paralyzed too. Remember how He was nailed to the cross? His back was raw from being beaten ...

1215. A Long Line Of Love

Ruth 1:1-22

Sermon

King Duncan

... Hollywood produce such a film today? I'm not sure it could. The values of our society have changed too much. First of all, here is a man feeling the weight of his guilt who confesses his crime for the sake of his soul. What does Hollywood know about such despair? And here is someone who loves him so much that she causes him to face up to his wrongdoing and then sticks by him through all the subsequent punishment. Hollywood would never buy it. It's out of touch with where we are. It's about faith and values ...

1216. What Is The Question?

Job 38:1--41:34

Sermon

Charles R. Leary

... could take out my anxiety on my colleagues at work, and my loved ones at home. I could curse God and live an angry-get-even kind of life. But I make things worse when I do such things. Negative emotions ” fear, anger and despair ” are powerful, and they have a way of "dumping" generous amounts of adrenaline, and other behavior-altering fluids, directly into the bloodstream. They cause high blood pressure, heart trouble, anxiety, exhaustion, depression. Think of it this way: God will forgive you for your ...

1217. People Who Dread Christmas

Malachi 2:17--3:5

Sermon

King Duncan

... I have something here that will comfort you." He opened his Bible to look for a familiar promise, but it ended with Malachi. There was no Gospel and no promise of hope and salvation, and he could only bow his head and weep with her in bitter despair. Two days later he stood beside her coffin and conducted the funeral service. There was no message of consolation, no hope of heaven. (5) Christmas really is a sad joke without Christ. We can put up lights and sing carols and attend services, but if Christ has ...

1218. Searching For A Lost God

Romans 9:30--10:21

Sermon

King Duncan

A woman had two little boys who were driving her to the edge of despair. They were into everything, non-stop. And they were mischievous as well. One day she decided to take them to her pastor. Maybe he could succeed where she had failed. The pastor wanted to see the older boy first. The younger one sat outside. The older boy was frightened. The ...

1219. I Am Doing A New Thing

Isaiah 43:14-28

Sermon

King Duncan

... promise. There are still ways in which we degrade people's dignity in our land. God will not tolerate such indignities forever. As long as people live in poverty, in hunger, in fear, God's agenda is not completed. As long as people live in sin, squalor, and despair He will not cease to labor. "My Father is working still," said Jesus, "And I am working." God is doing a new thing in our world. HE IS ALSO DOING A NEW THING IN OUR INDIVIDUAL LIVES. It was 1884. The New Orleans Cotton Exposition wanted to make ...

1220. Jesus Prays For Us

John 17:20-26

Sermon

King Duncan

... until, one by one the strong men lost their hold and disappeared beneath the angry billows. The mate, however, lashed the girl to the boat, and thus she drifted to the shore where she was found, safe and unharmed. When the stalwart men went down with shrieks of despair, she alone was saved. She didn't escape by her skill or wisdom. She escaped because she was fastened firmly to that which would not sink. (3) Here in this house of worship we fasten ourselves firmly to that which will not sink. We find it in ...

1221. Change Is Possible

Galatians 1:11-24

Sermon

King Duncan

... Robert Frosted. Change generally doesn't come in three hours. It can. But generally it doesn't. Change usually is the product of a life-long commitment. But it is worth the price. Particularly the change involved in moving from the world of darkness to light, from despair to hope, from death to life. It is said that when Earl Weaver was manager of the Baltimore Orioles he would charge at umpires shouting, "Are you gonna get any better, or is this it?" Maybe God is asking us the same question. Maybe we're ...

1222. Empowered By Angels

1 Kings 19:1-8

Sermon

King Duncan

... be times when each of us in our own particular mission, whether in our home or in our work or in our service to Christ, will face despondency and fear. Lacking courage and a resolute attitude we may falter and be tempted to quit. Take heart, we need not despair, for the angel of the Lord will also come unto us saying, "Arise and eat." If we heed His voice, and if we move out in faith, we will discover that God is faithful to His promises. We will win victories we never dreamed possible before. * Halford E ...

1223. Pray Constantly

Luke 18:1-8

Sermon

King Duncan

... . I am really going to master the subject!" Several weeks later, the friend ran into the woman again, this time at the grocery store. "How is the big project going?" the friend asked. "Have you learned to pray?" The woman hung her head and made a gesture of despair. "It was too complicated," she said, "and I gave it up." As an afterthought she added, "Now I'm taking a course in yoga." (1) Our text for the day is about persistence in prayer. Often we turn to prayer when we are in distress. One football coach ...

1224. The Gift Of Inadequacy

Luke 18:9-14

Sermon

King Duncan

... to extort what ever amount above that they could get from the people. Little wonder that people avoided tax collectors and despised them. The tax collector realized when he went to the temple that his was not an honest profession. He beat his breast in great despair knowing that he had no right to call on God's mercy. When he prayed he called attention to his sins and not his accomplishments. When he prayed he opened himself up to God, trusting in God and not himself. Jesus said, "This man went down ...

1225. Life From God's Perspective

John 12:12-19

Sermon

King Duncan

... wrote him off. Some of them even joined the crowds who jeered him as he hung on the cross. In a sense, they would not let God be God. They thought they had a better plan. And so do we. When we waste time and energy on worry, doubt and despair, rather than trusting God, we are as much in the wrong as they. Life is a matter of perspective. We need to see life as God sees it. Then we would see that the single pair of footprints in the sand are His and we would trust our lives, our ...

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Dictionary: Hope

Scope and Uses of the Word “Hope”

At times simply indicating a wish (2 Cor. 11:1), in the Bible the word “hope” most often designates a disposition of soul, the grounds for one’s hope, or the outcome for which one hopes.

Hope as a Biblical Theme