What about Hope?

"Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen." Hebrews 11:1

Hope.  It is a commonly used word for basic everyday wishes. 

I hope I get that job.

I hope we have enough in the bank account to pay bills.

I hope, I hope, I hope.

But what does it really mean to hope for things eternal?  I know for myself, I often find myself saying I hope for my own personal reasons, not necessarily for God's. 

That isn't a bad thing necessarily.  But I had to ask myself what do I really place my hope in?  What does HOPE mean to me?  What do I really hope for? 

The passage in Hebrews listed above is beautiful and so simple, yet so hard to live out.  We say we have hope in our heavenly Father, yet we don't always behave as if we do.  We try to take matters into our own hands or simply give up because we forget to have faith in the things we hope for.  And by that I mean not have faith in Jesus returning for his church.

That is what I hope for.  I look heavenward and know that this isn't my permanent home.  I have hope and faith that one day, Jesus will return and take me home.  I have hope and faith that if my life on this earth doesn't turn out the way I dream.....the He is there to comfort me and will not leave me stranded in the desert.  I have hope and faith that if all else fails...God never will. 

There is a song we sing at Illuminate and the chorus goes like this:

I found a love greater than life itself
I found a hope stronger and nothing compares
I once was lost now I'm alive in You.

Nothing compares to the hope I have in Christ. Nothing.

Where do you place your hope. What do you hope for? Do you need some encouragement in this? 

Go and check out some inspirational stories from women over at incourage.  I promise you will be strengthened, renewed and encouraged by women who go through the same struggles many of you do.  May they direct you to seek God's word and have hope in His promises. 

Nothing compares to the hope we have in Christ.

Tiff~