Hope by Dawn Sandquist

Who Needs Hope?
What is hope? Is it a vague concept – illusive and unobtainable? Or is hope something we can apprehend and understand in a lifetime? Is it important? Can I skip over it and have faith, for without faith a person can’t do anything. It takes faith to do, and love is the “better way”, so what is hope and why should people want it? Sometimes hope seems like it’s for the weak and needy; the last desperate effort of a dying man who hopes the governor will pardon him before his execution; or hopes someone will come up with a cure before he dies. Is hope only for desperate people?

If you have asked any of these questions in the past then I would like to ask you:
Are there goals and visions yet to be attained in your life? Are you waiting for something that hasn’t happened yet? Are you looking forward to someone or something that hasn’t arrived on the scene yet? Do you have any dreams left? Are you tired of or finished with dreaming? Are there aspects of your character where you would like to see change? Do you need to be healed? If you have answered ‘yes’ to any of these questions then you need hope.

The primary sense of this word is “to extend, to reach forward, and to heap on.” Hope is different from wishing because hope has the expectation of being obtainable. It is forward looking and wants to happen! Hope reaches forward to happen. Hope extends forward to happen. Hope reaches forward to add blessing upon blessing; layer upon layer. Sometimes people hope in something, think it’s faith, and when it doesn’t happen they are scandalized and sometimes angry at God for not hearing or caring.

Hope is the beginning of the faith process. Hope reaches out and asks God, “If I reach out right now for this, will You be there?” “Is this of You and from You?” “Can this happen?” If He answers “yes” then you need to proceed from there and ask God to help you see clearly what He is calling forth. Once you know it’s His will and you can see clearly what He wants, then you will experience faith, and faith will bring it to pass! If you sow corn you won’t harvest wheat, so if you sow in hope you won’t harvest the same results as you do when you have faith for something to happen.

Hope begins the process. Hope is usually cloudy in vision because it deals with the big picture where dreams and expectations start to grow. Hope begins the process of possibilities - of what can be. But when hope takes shape and the vision gets clear, then we move into the realm of faith. Hebrews 11:1 “Faith is the substance of things hoped for…” Faith is the evidence that what we hoped for WILL happen. Hope says it CAN HAPPEN. Faith says it WILL HAPPEN. Remember Romans 8:24 says ‘Hope that is seen is not hope.’ If it can be seen then it isn’t hope – its faith. Faith is seeing. Hope is the beginning of our seeing process.

Let’s take a look at Abraham. He no doubt had faith for an heir all his married life because that was what every man looked for in those days. But, as they both got older and older he probably went from faith that it would happen to “I know it can still happen.” He ‘hoped against hope.’ The odds were not in their favor. As they got older it had to be more and more difficult for them to see themselves with a child, but they continued to hope – it could happen.

Well God, Who loves impossible odds, came to Abraham and Sarah and told them, “It WILL happen next year at this time.” Years of waiting can tend to rob us of our Faith but it doesn’t need to rob us of Hope. Anything is still possible with God! Now Abraham could live in the realm of Faith. God told him what will be and the dream moved back into the realm of reality. Faith now had form and Abraham could see it. It was his! Faith takes the dreams and gives them shape and form.

Faith has to see. For faith to operate effectively you have to see with your spiritual eyes what God is calling forth. Both Hope and Faith believe in “the God who raises the dead back to life and brings into existence what didn’t exist before.” (Romans 4:17b) However, Hope reaches out for it and earnestly believes that anything CAN happen because of Who God is. Faith sees with the eyes of the Spirit and shows you what God is going to do because of Who He is! Faith says, “So be it!”

The key is to tap into God’s desires and plans. It’s all about what He has promised not necessarily what we want. Ask God for His desires and plans to be yours. They are infinitely more than we could ever ask for, imagine, or hope for anyway. As we hope we learn more about Him and His character. As we grow in faith we learn more about His desires and promises. When we ‘fall in line’ with His will, then we can be certain His will WILL happen. Sometimes He plants desires in our hearts and sometimes desires come from us. This is why Psalm 37 says to commit everything we desire to Him: “Trust Him and He will help you.” He’ll also help us figure out which is which.

Hope trusts in God. Hope reaches forward to Him and says, “I know you want something and I know You’re doing something so help me know what you want. Help me see what you are doing!” When you see and know then Jesus gives you the power to believe and have faith that it will be done.

This is for all the people who are waiting on God, wondering if it can happen, wondering if they should reach out into the unknown to extend themselves and their dreams forward yet once more. Since He is the God of all Hope and Jesus is our Living Hope, then we need to learn hope. Without hope there is no faith and without faith, not much can happen on the earth, and furthermore, we can’t please God. (Hebrews 11:6) He is looking for people who say “It can and it will!” So let’s explore the world of Hope where it can happen, as well as the Author who calls Hope forth into being.

Critical Thinking
How does Hope begin the Faith-process? According to scripture, how are hope and faith linked together?
What dreams has God given you? Have you let any of them die over the years?
What hopes do you need to hold up before God and declare, “This can happen!” ?
Now ask the Lord to show you which ones He desires to happen. Ask Him for the eyes of faith to see what He is calling forth on the earth.