Saturday, February 16, 2013

Five Bible Quotes on Hope

1. Proverbs 10:28 The hope of the righteous brings joy, but the expectation of the wicked will perish.

This passage in Proverbs is telling us the difference between the hopes of the righteous and the hopes of the wicked. Those who are righteous are those with the holy spirit within, living a life that is moral with a strong belief in Jesus. Is this individual perfect? No. The wicked are searching only for what pleases them at the moment. The life of a wicked individual is a simple repeating of craving and feeding the craving. Proverbs tells us that the righteous persons hopes will be fulfilled. They will have great joy. The expectations and wants of the wicked will not be fulfilled. The very desires themselves will perish. And even the individual himself.

2. Mark 9:23 And Jesus said to him, "'If you can'! All things are possible for one who believes."

This is a quote from the mouth of Jesus himself. He tells us that if you can find a way to believe, anything is possible. Jesus doesn't mince words or use slogans. He is telling us plainly that anything is possible. Yes, anything! With the Lord by our side we have nothing to fear, and can achieve anything.

3. Isaiah 41:10 Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

In this passage from Isaiah we are once again comforted with the notion that God is always with us. We are commanded to not get upset, to not get afraid, but to recall in our minds that God is with us. This is an important thing to remember consciously, because many of us will read passages like this but then forget when we are out in the world. Every time you are faced with a struggle repeat in your mind "God is with me." Be aware it will not be comforting at first. But if you continue the pattern, soon you will find the words taking on a deep meaning. You will feel calm in adversity. God tells us that he will strengthen us, help us, and uphold us.
4. Romans 8:24 For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees?

This passage in Romans says "For in this hope we were saved." This first part is explaining that hope is our most powerful power, within our own minds. Constantly we are saved from ruin by hoping for a better future. Hope is extremely powerful. Our trials and tribulations on this Earth are not easy. They are not easy at all. In fact they are sometimes incredibly impossibly difficult. Yet hope helps us through. The second part of this passage is explaining that once we have something we don't hope and want for it. I believe this to be a reference toward the unseen nature of God. We constantly hope and strive for God and Christ because we cannot actively reach and out take either.
5. Proverbs 13:12 Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a desire fulfilled is a tree of life.
This passage from Proverbs is fairly simple. When we lose hope it makes our heart sick. But when after a long time our desire, our hope is finally brought to fruition, it is a wondrous thing. It builds our hope.