The God of all Hope..

"Hope is the joyful anticipation of good. Any area of our lives that doesn't have hope is possessed by a lie."

The first part of this quote by Bill Johnson is probably the best definition of hope that I've ever heard, and the second part is something that has encouraged me, and at the same time I have questioned if its really true. But by what the Bible says and my own experience, Its been proven that this is quite true. If there is anything in my life that I do not look at with joyful anticipation, then I am believing a lie.

Earlier today, I had very little hope at all. There was no real love in my heart for most of the people I was around, I didn't want to change the world, I didn't want to love people, and all I wanted to do were things that would make me feel comfortable. This was the result of not continually renewing my mind. All of these things show that I didn't have hope, and that I was believing lies. The Bible says that the second greatest commandment is to love our neighbor as our self [Matt 22:39]. We can not do this without hope. I was remembering earlier today when I looked at a person, I did not look at them with joyful anticipation of good. I did not look at them with hope. My mindset at that time was possessed by a lie that people don't really matter, and I am powerless to help them, and what will happen in their lives will happen. It said, whatever problems they have I'm probably right in there with them. Those are the lies that took away my hope for people and for myself. This is just one example.

I once heard my friend, Dennis Bontrager say, "Everyone wants hope. That's why Obama is president." and as I took a look at the Bible, I soon realized that the gospel (good news) of Jesus Christ is hope. Over and over again in the gospels hope is encouraged, and in many cases the word "hope" is even used in the place of "Jesus":

"And now I stand and am judged for the hope of the promise made by God to our fathers. To this promise our twelve tribes, earnestly serving God night and day, hope to attain. For this hope's sake, King Agrippa, I am accused by the Jews."~ Acts 26:6-7 [emphasis added]

Hope, rejoicing and 'looking forward' to what is to come is continually encouraged throughout the New Testament. I think I've often looked at this as simply 'encouragement', and never realized that to the authors of those books, 'hope' was quite tangible. Hope isn't just to think better about your rotten circumstances, but it is an actually reality. We can joyfully anticipate good in every area of our lives because "anything is possible for him who believes," [Mark 9:23], and as Paul so clearly puts it,

"Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit." [Acts 15:13] [emphasis added]

We should have joyful anticipation of good wherever we go, whatever we do, and whomever we encounter. If we don't we are believing a lie and need to renew our minds.