HOPE – a confident expectation and assurance about the future

“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. Romans 15:13

We always enjoy our Saturday mornings at the Britomart market here in Auckland. It is a time when we connect with people, enjoy conversations, buy our vegetables and other goodies, not forgetting to mention the delicious food that is available!

Recently at the market we noticed a number of stickers placed around inviting people to take a pen and respond to the following:

Celebrating the season gives us time to reflect. So here at Britomart we’re inviting everyone to take a moment to share their thoughts on the year that has passed and their hopes for the new one. Thanks for joining this communal project of reflection and renewal.

How do we express hope in our everyday living? Mostly it is a desire for something to happen, usually in a positive way. An anticipation, an aspiration, an expectation, a feeling that things will turn out for the best. In other words, a desire, a dream, or a wish, for something better. A looking forward to a positive outcome for things we plan.

BUT for those who love the Lord Jesus Christ, hope is a unique word! We know that our genuine biblical hope is not a concept but a person, Christ Jesus our wonderful Lord and Saviour! When we read God’s Word we are filled with a hope that gives us a confident expectation and assurance about the future. The overflow of that precious hope as we trust in God fills us with joy and peace and it is with this glorious sense of joy, peace and hope empowered by the Holy Spirit that we face the trials and hardships that are the inevitable by-products of life in this broken world. And we know also that no human effort, human religion or human righteousness can ever achieve those desires and dreams we hope for. Trust and have faith in the God of hope, reflect over the past year, refresh in the present, and rejoice in the future, that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit

“may our lives and outlook be radiant and alive.” J B Philipps paraphrase

Lorraine Harvey

What will you write?