The word “hope” has two meanings in the Bible. The first, tiqvah, contains the sense of eager anticipation or waiting. The second, elpis, depicts a sense of confident expectation based on certainty.
Biblical faith is secured by God’s faithfulness to His promises. For the Old Testament leaders, their hope in the Messiah's arrival. For us, the hope of the Messiah’s return.
"But you, Bethlehem, only a small village in Judah, yet a ruler of Israel will come from you, one whose origins are from a distant past ... And He will stand to lead His flock with the Lord's strength ... Then His people will live undisturbed, for He will be highly honored all around the world. And He will be the source of our peace." (Micah 5:2, 4-5)
Christ's deity and humanity are shown here -- He is a shepherd, leading with the strength of God, bringing peace to His people.
The precision of God's promises proclaimed and fulfilled inspire us continually to hope in God. The hope of Christians is not wishful thinking but based on the historical facts of Christ's birth, death and resurrection, and in the confidence of His eagerly anticipated return.
Heavenly Father, You are the source of all hope and we know our hope is in You -- You will not disappoint us. Teach us this week to anchor our hope in Jesus. Help us to persevere with You when we feel like giving up. We eagerly wait for Your return. Amen.
With all our hope in Jesus,
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