Hope That Floats

 

Psalm 16:8-9 “I have set the Lord always before me; Because He is at my right hand I shall not be moved. Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoices; My flesh also will rest in hope.”

 

In an article by Ed Vitagliano of the American Family Association, he states that most of the time, people in the world – even many Christians – that hope is nothing other than wishful thinking. If asked: Do you think that you’ll make it to Heaven? They many times reply. “I hope so.” But, the word “hope” in this passage above is the Hebrew word “beṭaḥ” meaning a place of refuge; sure secure safety, both the fact of security and the feeling of trust in God and His promises; assurance, bold hope without care, but with confidence. That is not wishful thinking; its blessed and eternal assurance. 

 

Psalm 130:5 proclaims, “I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in His word I do hope.” Hope is the action of waiting for our heavenly fathers promises from His sacred Word to come to fruition. In John 14:2-3, the Lord Jesus promised all repentant, born-again and regenerated Believers: “In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.” With the eternal perspective of our promised home in Heaven with Jesus, on this side of eternity the cares of this fallen world are like “water on a duck” today. But wait there is more! In John 14:15-18, 26-27, Jesus promises to give each Believer the indwelling Holy Spirit to help us in this life declaring, “If you love Me, keep My commandments. And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you. I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you. The Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you. Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” 

 

That is why Psalm 31:24 says: “Be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart, All you who hope in the Lord.” The Christian Believer knows that Almighty God is real, created everything, and is in complete control of the world and their lives. The 1828 Webster’s dictionary defines the word “hope” as: Confidence in a future event; the highest degree of well-founded expectation of good; as a hope founded on God's gracious promises; A well founded scriptural hope is the source of ineffable happiness. God sent Jesus Christ, who paid the price for the sins of all repentant Believers who receive Him as Savior and Lord and they are saved from Hell and now children of God/Citizens of Heaven. It is a sure hope, only because we are not there yet, but we know that the Lord always keeps His promises. So, by faith we can shout with joy the words of Psalm 71:5:“For You are my hope, O Lord God; You are my trust from my youth.” It’s a hope that floats your boat!

 

In God We Trust / In Christ We Stand, Brian