Category Archives: Hope

The Living Hope

A result oriented entrepreneur, business executive, a believer, student studying for academic laurel, parenting couple, and many more need to have a living hope until the set goals and objectives are achieved. We are still on the subject of HOPE as an anchor of our soul if kept undying or alive. All boils down to achieving our goals if we can steadfastly stick to the relevant road map with God being the beacon; concerning    whatever be the ups and downs along the route. Living hope is a recurring impetus to forge ahead, knowing that God is faithful to see us through. Any one with weak or false hope is most likely going to end up being a quitter.

As in Hebrew 6: 19-20, it says,  “But beloved, we are confident for better things concerning you, yes, things that accompany salvation, though we speak in his manner. For God is not unjust to forget your labor of love which you have shown  toward His name, in that you have ministered to his saints, and do minister. And that we desire that each one of you show the same diligence to the full assurance of hope until the end, that you do not become sluggish, but imitate those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.” (NKJV). The relevant application of this passage is that we know as Christian believers that Jesus is interceding for us before God. Jesus told his followers that they should feel free to ask for any need of theirs through him and  will be granted to them their heart’s desire.

Christians have a living hope that makes their ultimate possible by the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Believers are looking forward to their salvation or as it is pleasantly expressed “Where will you spend your eternity-Heaven or Hell?” They tend to determinedly work towards it in the hope that the death and resurrection of Jesus had cleared the road to salvation. Christians are training and developing themselves and others to ensure their eternal salvation. It is this living HOPE that kept Apostle Paul going in spite of the suffering he went through throughout  his missionary journeys. Let us consider the  beating and imprisonment he endured. He and Silas were beaten severely and kept in prison under maximum security. Following the expression of the living hope in them, they both held vigil where they sang praises and prayed God loudly.The Almighty God showed forth His acceptance of the worship and responded with an earthquake that broke the stocks on them and yet they refused to escape from custody, Act 16: 18-28.

Hope is always the force behind endurance  and perseverance  as recorded in Thessalonians 1:3 “As we pray to our God and Father about you, we think of your faithful work, your loving deeds, and the enduring hope you have because of our Lord Jesus Christ, (NLT).

HOPE IS LIFE SUSTAINING

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Hope is life-sustaining. It is absolutely based on trust or faith in God. It is a life-sustaining phenomenon. Conversely, hopelessness is thus essential ingredient that makes up failure, faithlessness and or possibly untimely death. It is therefore to be seen that without hope for better result now or in the future, nothing tangible can be achieved. Strategic planning, or network analysis is based on hope, all things being equal.

This is the psychological reason a doctor treating a patient will always be reassuring the sick patient that he or she would get well; even where there appears to be no medical remedy. He continues to reassure the patient so that the patient may attune  his or her mind to the hope of getting well. Even , if all indices  point to eventual death, the assurance given would more often than not remove the burden of feeling guilty of perhaps confessed or non-confessed sins. Often times, When adequate hope is instilled in the patient, the sick person can easily take solace in Ephesians 3: 20 that says “God is able to do immeasurable more than all we ask or imagine according to His power that is at work within us” (NIV). Hope can be a means of resuscitating a dying person who can thereafter be able to do great exploits for God and humanity. The Almighty God is for ever faithful to those who hope and trust in him. God’s faithfulness is stressed in Lamentation 3: 32 “Though He causes grief, Yet He will show compassion According to the multitude of His mercies” (NKJV)

King Hezekiah fell sick to the point of death and God sent Prophet Isaiah to the king to warn him of his imminent death. King Hezekiah with hope and trust communed with God to spare his life because he had been so used to praying and praising Him which He would not be able to do  if he should die. God heard his prayer and asked Prophet Isaiah to go back and announce extending the King’s life by fifteen years. The lesson learnt here was that King Hezekiah kept hope alive until God gave him his heart’s desire,  without doubt, it was the trust that Hezekiah had in God that caused an end to King Sennacherib’s siege when overnight 185000 of his soldiers died of what bible historians described as bubonic plague from rat infestation. In short, if it is fear of anything that is standing between a believer and unshakable hope, trust and believe in God. Just remember the Psalmist that said: “The Lord is with me, I will not be afraid.” Psalm 118: 6. A prayerful believer is a hopeful person because the result of prayers does not manifest instantly like the miracles of Jesus Christ in His healing ministry. Hannah hoped and trusted in God until God opened her womb and gave birth to Samuel.