Study #2: Hope

Acts 28:20
"For this reason therefore I have asked to see you and speak with you, since it is for the sake of the hope of Israel that I am bound with this chain.” 

Psalm 71:5
For you, O Lord, are my hope, my trust, O Lord, from my youth.

Psalm 146:5
Happy are those whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the Lord their God. 

Romans 4:18
Hoping against hope, he believed that he would become “the father of many nations,” according to what was said, “So numerous shall your descendants be.” 

Job 4:6 (NIV)
Should not your piety be your confidence and your blameless ways your hope?

“I believe in the sun, even when it’s not shining…” (From “I Believe in Love” by BarlowGirl)

These December days in northern Russia are very short; when you wake up it’s dark and when you go to bed it’s dark as well. On days like these you especially crave warmth and light. And we all hope—I’d even say we are more than certain—that before the year is out light will conquer darkness and the days will gradually grow longer.

These are the days when we all await Christ’s birth. Our God has many names; one of them is “the hope of Israel.” (Acts 28:20) He is our hope too. The psalm singer says, “For you have been my hope, Sovereign Lord, my confidence since my youth.” (Psalm 71:5, NIV)  We anxiously await Jesus’ birth and thus hope that through his birth, death, and resurrection He will again defeat the forces of evil, darkness, injustice, and oppression. We are confident that He will be our ally in conquering our sinful nature. He will be by our side when we face temptations and will never forsake us.

My personal experience proves this truth. I was a beer addict some two years ago. You could barely count two days a week when I didn’t hit the bottle. I liked it. Therein lies the devil’s trap: you simply like to sin. Beer tastes good, it helps you relax after a hard day, takes you to a world where there are no problems or matters of urgency. Then one summer I realized I was in trouble: more and more often I would be thinking about a drink, would try to finish some task as quickly as possible to “reward” myself with a beer. I understood the situation was troublesome. At the same time I didn’t feel the strength within me to kick the addiction. Moreover, I liked it! There is a good verse in the Bible: “Blessed is he...whose hope is in the Lord his God.” (Psalm 146:5, NIV) I realized I couldn’t deal with this sin with my own strength or righteousness; then I prayed to God to give me the desire and fortitude to overcome this addiction. It worked! Two or three weeks later I was free of alcohol addiction. I remain free to this day.

In the modern Russian language the word “hope” sounds like something vague, uncertain, and weak. While studying the Scripture, I found that in the biblical sense, “hope” has nothing to do with weakness or uncertainty. On the contrary, it is that to which you must apply your will and efforts. Take Abraham, for example. By all the laws of nature, this man of God stood no chance of becoming “the father of many nations.” But as Paul writes, “Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed…” (Romans 4:18, NIV) Amazing, isn’t it? I wish I had faith like that! I wish we all had hope in the biblical sense—hope bound by absolute confidence and conviction that God is mighty and wants to save each and every one.

Questions for Reflection and Discussion

• How would you interpret the following verse: “Should not your piety be your confidence and your blameless ways your hope?” (Job 4:6, NIV)
• Have you ever lost all hope because of something? What did you feel at that moment and what actions did you take?
• What shade of meaning has the word “hope” in the language you speak? Does it coincide with the biblical
meaning?
• Can we overcome addiction on our own? If yes, why? If no, why?

Vladimir Ditmar, Russia