Hope for 2022
"Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful." -Hebrews 10:23
Thinking and praying about a new word for a new year brings me to hope! What is hope?
To hope is to trust in, to wait and look for, to desire something or someone and to expect something beneficial in the future. And Jesus certainly promises us all this and more.
As believers we are encouraged to wait for God hopefully, expectantly. In times of trouble, we should wait for the Lord, who will turn things around. A God who will make dark things full of light. Sometimes expressions of hope are accompanied by the prayer that we will not be disappointed. God promises that those who wait for him will not be disheartened. God is able to bring about the realization of our hopes; to get us to look with expectation. He knows the plans He has for us. Plans for good, for a hope and a future filled with wonder.
To hope means to wait, to be patient, to endure. These are common words where suffering is present. We are to bear affliction patiently while hopefully waiting for the Lord's deliverance. Easy??? NOT!! But we know that when we hope, Jesus comes to us and makes all things new. He is faithful and wishes only for us to thrive. And if we will remember that life will get a lot easier.
Hope is closely related to trust. God tells us to trust in Him alone. God is our only hope. He is the only one who saves. He promises us that and we trust His promises. Because his hope does not disappoint but is poured out into our hearts. Poured into our souls, not just dripped, drop by drop, but emptied into our very beings.
And this hope does not disappoint. The reason is that we already have a taste of the future glory because of the love with which the Holy Spirit fills our hearts. In other words, the gifts of love and of the Spirit are down payments of future glory for which we hope.
In the story of Simeon he looked for Israel's consolation at the arrival of the Messiah. He could not leave this earth until he had beheld His glory and seen the salvation which God prepared in the sight of everyone. He saw his hope realized in that tiny infant and experienced the fulfillment of the promises and the Glory of God.
We wait with eager expectation for our revelation as children of God. The glory that as believers we are destined to share with Christ far exceeds the sufferings of the present life. Paul tells us the destiny of the created world is linked with the future that belongs to the believers. As we share in the penalty of corruption brought about by sin, so we share in the benefits of redemption and future glory that comprise the ultimate liberation of God’s people.
After patient endurance in steadfast expectation, the fullness of the Spirit’s presence will be realized in us. We are waiting "for the righteousness for which we hope" and for "the blessed hope, " namely, the glorious appearing of our Lord when he comes again. We have both an eager expectation and a hope to be glorified in Him, whether in life or in death.
Hope is courage, it is confidence we have in God's promises; it is a sure anchor.
Those in the world may be setting their sights on money and power but we are not to do the same. We put our hope in God who takes care of us. Who saves us. Who loves us and gives us peace; a wealth of love and mercy which cannot be like what the world seeks. We must set our sights higher!
So, this new year I am putting more of my trust in Jesus. Because it is a sure and certain hope. I am going to recall all of the good things-GREAT THINGS that happened this year and not dwell on the hassles. Wil you join me in hoping for great things in the New Year?
If our hope is only for our present existence, that is very sad. What do we hold on to then? Is the money and power going to go with us into heaven? Jesus promises us eternal life, not an end but a beginning - true joy with Him for all eternity. The only sure hope is Jesus and the only true road to heaven.
Hope is our gift from God through grace he offers us a solution to all that is wrong in the world. Our hope leads to joy, boldness and deeper faith and love. Hope can be our comfort in this trying world. It can bring us the peace that we all so desire. It can be our sure anchor that we cling to when things are tough, but it can also be a means of growth – learning to trust more, to rely more on Him, to let go and let God.
Let us go forth into this new year with the hope and promise God gives us to be with us always unto the end of time. And if we are with God and God is for us, what could be wrong in the world?
Let’s look to 2022 with hope and promise – with trust and mercy. That God who gives us peace that surpasses all understanding will lead us to a better future, a future filled with hope.
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." -Jeremiah 29:11
May your year be filled with peace, mercy and love. May God's blessings shower upon you and bestow upon each of you a bright, healthy and peaceful new year.