Acts 27:18-44
Hebrews 3:6
If we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm to the end…confidence has a lot to do with what your hope is based on. Rejoicing too. Hope is in your spirit. It is the light of your soul. Faith keeps that flame alive. Let hope arise in your soul today. It is a spiritual substance. Faith looks to hope to produce new evidence of the life of Christ in you. Faith lights the candle of hope in your soul.
Your body responds to the hope and faith within you. Hope is the blueprint of your faith.
Three benefits of living hope:
- Hope does not disappoint. (Romans 5:5)
How can a blueprint of a building disappoint you? Hope is birthed even during hardship. It provides a way out and looks for future blessing because of God’s love for you.
A believer’s hope makes him rejoice. Hope has a rejoicing voice. An unbelievers hope makes him sad and defeated because he has no covenant with God. (Ephesians 2:12, 13)
Hardship produces determination and builds Christ’s character in us. It produces pure faith, genuine faith that makes the blueprint of hope a reality. Love balances hope & faith. (I Corinthians 13:13)
- Hope brings courage. (Acts 27:36)
Paul told the sailors and prisoners in the storm to take heart because he believed what the Angel told him. One man filled with hope saved a ship full of hopeless men. A prisoner with hope is worth more than a captain of a ship that has lost hope. We need people like that.
Hope is based on a covenant. Paul stipulated that he belonged to the God that he served. Our messages should always have an element of hope in them. People need to be encouraged along the way. We serve a God of hope. (Romans 15:13)
- Hope gives a full assurance. (Hebrews 6:11)
Paul was certain that there would be no loss of life among them in the storm but that the ship would be lost. Hope’s definition: a confident expectation based on trust that is willing to wait and keep looking until that which is hoped for becomes reality.
‘Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing.’ (Romans 15:13) He does it by the power of the Holy Spirit.
May God revive your spirit today and fill you with fresh hope that will make you confident to face what you have to face and go through what you have to go through. Our God is a God of hope!