Guard Your Hope

“Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.”

Hebrews 10:23

Your enemy, the devil, wants to steal your hope.

Hope is an expectation for a desired outcome. It inspires you to rise in the morning. It calls to you from the future, saying there is something good ahead. Keep moving forward; your effort will have a reward. In essence, hope is motivation. What happens when there is no hope? What happens when the future holds no promise, and there is no incentive for living the next day? Hope is everything.

God understood that hope was an essential element for a fulfilled life. He wrote in Jeremiah 29:11, “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Just the beginning of this verse should inspire celebration: “For I know the plans I have for you…” God has plans for you! The mighty Creator of the universe—the one who knows the number of stars—has orchestrated a plan specifically designed for you. What a beautiful promise. Hope is wrapped up in a package of divine purpose and carefully handed to the one it was crafted for—you. He knew that these plans for a specially-crafted future would kindle a fire of hope in our hearts—a hope founded in Jesus Christ. Herein lies the most important truth: Do not place your hope in anyone other than Christ.

We hear stories of people living hope-drained lives or, even worst, choosing to end their lives. The question is always—How could anyone get to the point where they could not live anymore? The answer is often hopelessness. The future as they see it holds no promise of anything better, of anything meaningful. Hopelessness is the result of setting your dreams and aspirations for the future on anything or anyone other than Christ. Any future not built on Christ will end in disappointment, dissatisfaction, regret, frustration, and…hopelessness.

God’s promise is for a future with Him in eternity. To the unbeliever, this is foolishness. To the believer, it is everything—a foundation on which to build a life, a reason to look forward. We’re living this life just to live again in heaven with our Creator; this is our hope.

Think about it.

What is it that you are living your life to accomplish? Look far into the future. What is it that you hope for? Is it that you will make a mark on this world or that people will remember your name? Consider for a moment: where is your hope? If it is in anything or anyone other than Christ, consider a change today. When your hope is in Christ, your whole life, all of your decisions, now take a new direction.

Read about it.

Consider what the Bible says about our hope. Read 1 Peter 1:13, Ephesians 1:18, Psalms 33:18, and Psalms 130:5. Read 1 Thessalonians 1:3 to understand what hope in Christ produces, and read in Romans 5:5 to understand what hope in Christ does not produce.

Pray about it.

Dear Savior, I have set all my hope in you, in your mercy, in your message, and in your Kingdom. If I ever misplace my hope, please prick my heart to return to you. Thank you for being a God of your Word. I know your promises are true. In Jesus name.