Hope is Expectation

Hope is not an unfamiliar word to any of us. Every language has a word for hope—it is truly a universal concept.

In the Bible, hope is a word that attaches itself to powerful concepts like heaven, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal salvation. So what exactly is the Biblical definition? In Greek, hope is elpis, and though this word is foreign to most of us, its meaning is unmistakable. Vines Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words defines elpis this way: “favorable and confident expectation“.

Hope, simply put, is a desire for some future good with the expectation of obtaining it. We’re not talking about a wish or a daydream—we’re talking about expectation. An expectation that God will save you, that God will hear your prayers, that He will give peace within, despite the turmoil going on around you.

When we hope for something, as Christians, it means that we are looking forward to receiving that something God has promised—not with fearful whimpering, but with confident believing. We build our lives around this hope of ours. Every time we say no to sin, every time we say yes to our Biblical convictions, we are motivated by hope—the hope that there is something better waiting for us. Hope that God will reward our faithfulness, and right the wrongs.

“But now, Lord, what do I look for? My hope is in you. (Psalm 39:7)

-BJS-