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Hope that is more than wishful thinking is yours, for, you have a God of all hope, who fills you with His goodness. Hope therefore, as a child of God, is a confident expectation of the fulfillment of His word to you. And the unfolding of the truth of it, is His promise to you and I, this new month, May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit [Romans 15:13].
It is the prayer of the apostle Paul, that comes to you, so that it may become your experience in life, as you receive it in faith to make it your lifestyle, by the overwhelming grace of God. Being prepared mentally for things going either way, in order to avoid disappointment in the future, in case your hope does not materialize, is not how God wants you to live. For, just as He is the author and finisher of your faith, He is also the God of hope in you, to carry things through to a flourishing and expected finish. You will indeed see the manifestation of your hope, your expectation coming to pass.
And the certainty of it will be in you, when it is built on nothing less than the living hope in you, Lord Jesus Christ, who is your hope of glory. He is the Eternal Word. And in the beginning was the Word, the Word was with God, and the Word was God [John 1:1]. Therefore, He is the producer, the originator, of the hope that is in you.
God of hope – is the One who begins:
When you are hoping for something, the nature of the person on whom you have pinned your hope, who has promised to accomplish it, is tremendously vital, when it comes to the outcome of your hope. For, in the world, there are those who promise, and fail to deliver, when it comes to doing something that would fulfill your hope. And then again, there are those who genuinely desire to do so, but find themselves without the required means and the resources. Hope therefore, owing to various reasons, can so often turn out to be a false hope. And the good news that you are hoping to hear of, could sometimes be fake news! But it need not be the uncertain scenario that rules over your life, for the One who has birthed or produced the hope in you, is God Himself, whose very nature, as revealed in His Name is the ‘God of hope’. And, He begins, not so that you may let go of your hope, at the first challenge that comes in your path.
God of hope – is the One who sustains:
The attributes of the God of peace, the God, who is your peace, are truth that can be applied, and said also of the God of hope. It is why He is able to fill you with joy and peace, within you, irrespective of your circumstances. And when problems come, and difficulties arise, there is a peace that transcends all understanding in you, for It is His peace that He gives you, and not as the world does [John 14:27]. And ultimately, more than anything, He Himself is your peace [Ephesians 2:14]. He is also the God of peace who is with you, as you choose to walk in obedience to His word [Philippians 4:9].
And, how does He produce hope in you?
The beginnings of it are in the psalmist’s words crystal clear, surprising though it may be to you, and needless to say overwhelming. For, it begins at the time of your birth, But You are He who took me out of my mother’s womb; You made me trust while on my mother’s breasts; I was cast upon You from birth; From my mother’s womb, You have been my God [Psalm 22:9,10].They are words forever true, and what is yours and mine even this day to receive by grace and through faith, to walk in the truth of it. He made you trust Him, even at your birth, to then steadily increase it in the years of your life, and be filled with it, to be able to say as the psalmist, in the years of your youth, For You are my hope, O my God; You are my trust from my youth [Psalm 71:5]. And also in your twilight years, even as your hair turns gray, and your body is no longer so nimble and swift, to say, O God, you have taught me from my youth; To this day I declare your wondrous works. Now also when I am old and grey headed, O God do not forsake me, Until I declare your strength to this generation, Your power to everyone who is to come [Psalm 71:17,18].
It is, therefore, God Himself, who begins and completes your hope. It is why He is said to be the author and the finisher of your faith. And, that the good work that He begins in you, He will surely carry on to completion, is also the written word of God [Philippians 1-6]. It all goes to establish therefore, that the hope that He has begun in you, will certainly find it’s fulfillment in your life. And, the foundation of your confidence is what the apostle Peter makes clear in his epistle.
A living hope:
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to his great mercy has begotten us again to a living hope, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead [1 Peter 1:3]. The truth is simple – it is because Christ arose from the dead, and is alive now forever. And when you are born again in your spirit, becoming a new creation in Christ, He lives in you. Therefore, the hope that He originates in you, is a living hope, that will not die, but will surely see the light of day. It will not return void without accomplishing the purpose for which it has come to you. On the other hand, it would not be so, with the hope and encouragement that a human being may give you, however genuine and well meaning they are. For, man is mortal, and one day you will miss their physical presence, and hope giving words that may have inspired you, and kept you going, even in the midst of tough situations.
And therein lies the glorious difference, when it comes to the living Lord. With Christ, it is a living hope, that is present continual; for Christ arose from the dead to live forever. And God has given you a new birth, so that this living hope may be in you now, and so that you may receive an inheritance that will never fade away. Therefore, may the eyes of your heart be opened this day, to grasp the truth of the living hope that is yours when you are born again in your spirit. It becomes so very vital in this present environment, when death seems to be holding sway all around the world, and so very suddenly, that you choose life, so that you and your descendants may live. And so, in the confident expectation birthed by the living hope in you, may you choose life, to be able to say ,‘I will not die but live; to proclaim the goodness of God, in the land of the living’ [Psalm 118:17].
How is the hope in you, a living hope?
Christ died on Calvary, for the sins of the whole world, that included yours and mine. But, He arose from the dead; and today He lives, nevermore to die. You were dead in your transgressions, but by God’s gracious work in your heart, have been made alive in Christ, who is in you now, as the Lord of your life. It is the wondrous story of your salvation, and hope that is in you. And having defeated death on the Cross of Calvary, Lord Jesus Christ alone, is the living hope. He alone, when He is the Lord in you, can say to you this day, in your challenging situation, that He will never leave you or forsake you, so that your hope may remain strong and also find it’s fulfillment.
He is the God who fills you:
Thus, when what you are facing is a tough situation, that has the potential to drain away all your hope, He is the God of hope who fills you with His joy and His peace on the inside, so that you may continue to hope, and overcome on the outside. For Christ is the head of the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him, who fills all in all [Ephesians 1:22,23]. Therefore, when you are a part of the body of Christ, or the living organism, that is the church, He is the God who is the originator, or the source of your hope, the very beginning of it. And, He then continues to maintain and increase it steadily, to keep it alive even when negative circumstances threaten to dampen and put an end to it, by filling you with His fullness; for it is His joy and peace that He gives you, and above all, He Himself is your joy and peace.
How does His fullness come to you?
It is where the Spirit of God operates. And as you receive by faith, it is by filling you with His word and His Spirit, that the fullness of God comes to you, so that you may be victorious in your circumstances. And Christ Himself modeled it as He walked the earth, that you may follow His wondrous example, all by His grace, to the best of your ability, or even beyond your ability, as the situation demands it of you. It was when He was filled with the Spirit, that Lord Jesus, the Living and Eternal Word, the very fullness of the Godhead in bodily form, went into the wilderness, where He was tempted by the evil one, but also overcame his wily temptations [Luke 4:1-13]. And, He is the One with you even now, as a living hope in you, that your hope that is from Him, may continue to abide in you and flourish, even in the face of troubling circumstances, that could tempt or torment you, hindering your walk of faith.
For, God anointed Him with the Holy Spirit and with power, and He went about doing good, and healing all those who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him [Acts 10:38]. It was the source and the nature of Christ’s earthly ministry, the effectiveness of the fullness of God in Him. And He remains the same even this day. He will surely and certainly do good in your life, healing you of all the oppression of the enemy, so that you may experience your divine destiny. He is the Christ, who is in you, to do good in you, and through you, in all that is connected to you, your work, your family, your church, and every realm of your life. Therefore, what can be your hope, is as follows,
1. Deliverance will happen :Our fathers trusted in You. They trusted and You delivered them [Psalm 22:4].
2. The needy will not be forgotten, For the needy shall not always be forgotten; The expectation of the poor shall not perish forever [Psalm 9:18].
The nature of the need may vary in each person, and also, one can be poor in some area of life or other, but you have a God of hope, who will meet you at your point of need, and fulfill your expectation. A calm certainty, and assurance can be yours, therefore, that your hope will end in a fulfillment of it, and not die. It is all because of an unchanging and powerful truth. Jesus Christ arose from the dead. He is alive, to live forevermore.
Christ in you – the hope of glory:
And above all, because you have put your trust in Him, the dynamics of your relationship with Him, the intimate nature of it, is powerful. For, the Spirit of Christ, the blessed Holy Spirit is then alive in you. And, Christ in you – is the hope of glory! He is your God of hope; the Living and Eternal Word in you, who produces your hope, and what originates from Him, will certainly find it’s fulfillment. You are blessed indeed, as the psalmist has declared, Happy is the one who has the God of Israel for his help; Whose hope is in the Lord, his God [Psalm 146:3]. For, in your life, Surely there is a hereafter; Your hope will not be cut off [Proverbs 23:18].
A future and a hope:
And may the Holy Spirit, in the coming days of this month, fill you anew with joy and peace, so that your hope may increase, for Christ, the Living Word in you, is it’s anchor. You have a God of hope. And because you have put your trust in Him alone, you can hope, as the word of God dwells in you richly, that all your children may be taught of the Lord, that the work of your hands may prosper, that the land may rejoice, and be glad, and that, your boundary lines may fall in pleasant places.
And because He is the God who has given you the hope, He will surely go on to fulfill it, unshaken by circumstances, for He is the Rock, and remains always a refuge and mighty fortress, in your life and mine. May we lift up our hearts unto God therefore, for the privilege of being able to come into His presence, calling Him Abba, Father, giving thanks unto Him, that as God of hope, He begins, sustains and fulfills our hope.
And, as Christ is in us, to be our hope of glory, we will never be put to shame. But, surely there is a future and a hope, shining brightly ahead of us. May He crown our heads with His goodness, and everlasting joy, so that sorrow and sighing may flee away, and may we see His will being done, and His kingdom established in our lives.
In the Name of Christ Jesus Amen.
