Found, Pt. 2—Looking for Hope

The Bible has much to say about the spiritual battles we must fight and win in order to live the lives and fulfill the purposes that God has for us. Always be aware that the prize your enemy is after, the trophy he wants to carry away from battle, is your HOPE. Once hope is surrendered, the battle is essentially over.

And that’s why the Bible is also filled with people who held on to hope against all odds, who hoped when every reason to hope seemed gone. People like Abraham, David, Ruth, Joseph, Paul, and on and on. They did what the writer of Hebrews encourages us all to do…

(Hebrews 10:23) “Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.”

Hope Cycle

Romans 5:1–5 (NIV84)1 Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. 3 Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; 4 perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5 And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.

Hope Cycle =  Hope  >  Sufferings  >  Perseverance  >  Character  >  Hope

Biblical hope is a confident assurance that what God’s Word says about us is true, and a confident expectation that God will fulfill His promises to us. To hope is to trust God and His Word.

Hope Deferred

(Proverbs 13:12) Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a desire fulfilled is a tree of life.

The Bible has much to say about the spiritual battles we must fight and win in order to live the lives and fulfill the purposes that God has for us. Always be aware that the prize your enemy is after, the trophy he wants to carry away from battle, is HOPE. Once hope is surrendered, the battle is essentially over.

And that’s why the Bible is also filled with people who held on to hope against all odds, who hoped when every reason to hope seemed gone. People like Abraham, David, Ruth, Joseph, Paul, and on and on. They did what the writer of Hebrews encourages us all to do…

(Hebrews 10:23)Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.

How Hope Is Deferred…

Every challenge in life must be addressed in all three realms—the natural, the soulish (mind, will, emotion), and the spiritual.

Hope is not usually lost quickly, but progresses through all three realms (not necessarily in this order).

1. Natural—an event or circumstance occurs that brings loss, pain or disappointment.

2. Soulish (mind, will, emotions)—a mindset is allowed to develop that is contrary to the truth—the Word of God.

3. Spiritual—the enemy seizes the opportunity to attack with lies until hope is gone, replaced by a stronghold of defeat.

The Battle For Your Hope

The battle for your hope will occur predominantly in the soulish realm—your mind, your will, and your emotions. Regardless of the severity of the storm or the attempts of the devil to deceive you with lies, YOU decide whether your mind, will, and emotions will remain anchored in the truth of God’s Word, or will be swept away by the strong current of the enemy’s lies that are contrary to God’s Word.

Joseph

(Genesis 45:4) 4 So Joseph said to his brothers, “Come near to me, please.” And they came near. And he said, “I am your brother, Joseph, whom you sold into Egypt. 5 And now do not be distressed or angry with yourselves because you sold me here, for God sent me before you to preserve life.

“You sold me…”—the natural event and circumstance

…but “God sent me..”— Joseph’s interpretation of that event and circumstance

Hope Wins! If…

1. You know God you and wants the best for you.

(Lamentations 3:21–23) Yet I still dare to hope when I remember this: 22 The faithful love of the Lord never ends! His mercies never cease. 23 Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning.

2. You know God is and has a plan for you.

(Jeremiah 29:11)For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

3. You know your struggle has a .

(Genesis 45:5) …you sold me here, (but) God sent me before you to preserve life.

4. You know your pain has an .

(Romans 8:18,28) For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. 28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.

5. You stay close and connected in the .

(Hebrews 10:25)And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near

6. You keep the right in your life.

(Ephesians 4:15) Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, 

7. You in the middle of the struggle.

(Psalm 40:1–3) I waited patiently for the Lord to help me, and he turned to me and heard my cry.  2 He lifted me out of the pit of despair, out of the mud and the mire. He set my feet on solid ground and steadied me as I walked along. 3 He has given me a new song to sing, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see what he has done and be amazed. They will put their trust in the Lord.