HOPE is desire accompanied by expectation, a combination of wish and expectancy. Hope is the boon companion of Faith and Love, and is one of the three abiding Christian graces. It is the one thing which keeps the heavy, hungry, helpless, human heart from despair, and bids it push on despite the failure and defeat. It has been well said: "Hope springs eternal in the human breast."
HOPE is often counterfeited even as is faith. In the place of faith men put presumption, and in the place of hope the mere longing for the thing desired. But presumption ends in defeat and disaster, and "the hope of the hypocrite shall perish."
FAITH is based on the Word of God, whether of precept or promise. Hope is based on God's promise. Faith pertains to the now, and makes the things of God realities. It brings the soul into harmony with God. Hope pertains to the coming better things wished-for by the heart and promised in the Word of God. That is presumption and not faith which attempts to lay hold on God's promises, but ignores His precepts, His conditions. That is mere longing and not hope which expects the better things and ignores genuine faith. On the foundation of true Faith, Hope may build; and in the superstructure of Hope, Love may make a beautiful and delightful dwelling.
MANY indeed are the beautiful figures used in the Bible to illustrate hope and its assurances. The writer of Hebrews, referring to God's promise and oath declares that "by two immutable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we may have a strong encouragement, who have fled for refuge to lay hold of the hope set before us; which we have as an anchor of the soul, a hope both sure and stedfast and entering into that which is within the veil; whither as a forerunner Jesus entered for us." Heb. 6:13-20. This is but one of its phases. An anchor holds the ship from drifting, so hope holds the Christian steady amid all the storms of life. But how unlike human anchors it is! There is nothing in men's anchors which will save a ship from going down. The anchor will hold from drifting, but it will not make buoyant nor lift the barque above the breakers. But the Christian anchor lays hold on the eternal and immutable promise and oath of God. He is anchored up and not down. Let the treacherous currents sweep, the wild blasts blow, the tides surge, the waves run mountains high, God's throne is stedfast, and Hope's "Cables passed from His heart to thine
Can defy the blast through strength divine."
The Rock of Ages is secure. The wild waves waste their strength in beating against its base. Blessed is he who is anchored in its everlasting strength.
HOPE is likened to a helmet. The helmet was the ancient piece of armor which covered the head and preserved the seat of the intellect, the brain. More people in this world lose their reason from discouragement and despair than from any other cause. Hope cheers, comforts, and confirms. Many persons are hopeful when they feel like it,—the smoker after a pipe, the drinker after his dram, the housewife after her good cup of tea, many because some others are cheerful, the superficial Christian after an exuberant service. Hope is based on feeling with all these. In their armor hope ought to be over the heart, the seat of the affections. But God has not placed it there: "For a helmet the hope of salvation." God wants His children to have an intelligent hope, based not on man's feeling, not on appearances, not on human conditions or environments, but on the immutable promises of God. Reader, put on God's helmet.
HOPE is likened to a door opening out of trouble. So He promises Israel: "I will allure her, and bring her into the wilderness, and speak comfortably unto her. And I will give her her vineyards from thence, and the valley of Achor for a door of hope." Hosea 2:14, 15. Unbelieving Israel found no vineyards in her wilderness wandering. "Achor" means "trouble," and the allusion is to the defeat of Israel because of the sin of Achan. Sorely defeated, Israel was humbled; sin was among them; the guilty party was found; his confession4came too late, and he was slain. The place was called the Valley of Achor, or trouble. Yet the Lord declares that He will make such a place as this, a time of the revelation and putting away of sin, "a door of hope." Even so it may be to those who are passing through trouble to-day. Is there aught between them and God? Let them humble their hearts, put away the sin, and enter the door of hope in Christ Jesus.
BLESSED be the hope which God has given. It is "the hope of eternal life;" it is "the blessed hope, the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;" it is "Christ our hope." In hope is there encouragement amid discouragement (Ezra 10:2); there is joy and rejoicing amid the sorrows of earth (Prov. 10:28; Rom. 5:2; Heb. 3:6); there is strength in hope (Ps. 27:14; 31:24); there is patient endurance in hope (1 Thess. 1:3; Rom. 5:4; 8:24; 15:4). Yes, there is persistency, salvation, reward, in hope, because in Christ dwells all the fulness of the Godhead. "Be of good courage, . . . all ye that hope in Jehovah."
