Hope. It’s what makes life easier to navigate. 

When children we hope for that toy or trip we want. We hope for our friends to be able to play. We hope for that favorite supper. 

As teens we hope for that grade, that date, those friends, entrance to that team. We hope for acceptance. We hope for independence. 

As adults, our hopes change somewhat, but they are there. 

Hope is a confident longing for something we know we want, but we can’t see yet. I mean, unless we’re in the house while Mom is making our favorite pot roast, we can’t smell what’s cooking or see her draw it from the oven and know it’s our favorite. 

Paul wrote these words to the church at Rome, helping them understand how to treat other believers in Jesus. He reminds them the Source of all hope is God Himself, and asks God to fill those believers with joy and peace. 

See, when we experience God’s love and power, we are more inclined to hope toward more of Him, more of His care, more of His blessings, more. And often, the aim of our hopes changes. We long for more than what can be achieved on Earth. We desire what pleases God over what pleases us. 

When we have experienced God and His care, we realize He really is for us, He really does fight for us, He really does love us beyond our understanding and we rest in that. We walk around with the sure knowledge that He loves us and that love will never fail. 

Because we know these things, we can have confident hope that all the other promises of the Almighty are true and we can walk in them, too. 

Chin up, Christian! Walk tall, Believer! Step out in that confident hope, that solid faith, that says “God said it. That settles it.” 

Coffee, Bible, Journal.

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