Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my help and my God. Psalm 42:5
Hope is a wonderful and life-changing concept. Hope is the confident and favourable expectation of something good. Hope is confident, serene and expectant. Hope creates an inner attitude of openness to God, to other people and to life. Hope is the other side of faith, by which one commits oneself to God or another person.
Hope is the confidence that what I offer to God or to another person will be appreciated and responded to. Hope believes that God values what I offer him and will respond to my prayer. Therefore I am open to receive that response. It takes faith and hope to create love.
Hope does not disappoint because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit (Rom 5:5). Long ago the psalmist could say with confidence: 'Hope in God, for I shall again praise him for the help of his presence'. Because God is a God of hope, every Christian should have a constant attitude of confident expectation.
Gracious Lord, God of hope, thank you for pouring out
your love in our hearts by the Holy Spirit. Fill our
hearts also with hope and grant us faith that in you
we shall not be disappointed.
Further reading: Ps 42.
KOT