Such things were written in the Scriptures long ago to teach us. And the Scriptures give us hope and encouragement as we wait patiently for God’s promises to be fulfilled.
— Romans 15:4 NLT

The hope that followers of Jesus Christ have is not wishful thinking. Nor is it blind optimism. It is a quiet confidence. It is a supernatural certainty. When the Bible speaks of hope, it is not the hope of this world. Rather, it is something altogether different. In fact, the Greek and Hebrew words that translate to “hope” speak of certainty. In the Bible, the word “hope” means a strong and confident expectation.

Where do we find such hope? We find it in the pages of Scripture. True and lasting hope comes from God and His Word.

The psalmist wrote, “You are my refuge and my shield; your word is my source of hope” (Psalm 119:114). In fact, one of the reasons Scripture was given to us, according to Romans 15:4, was to bring us hope: “Such things were written in the Scriptures long ago to teach us. And the Scriptures give us hope and encouragement as we wait patiently for God’s promises to be fulfilled.”

And where does this hope grow stronger? It grows stronger in crisis. You see, it is one thing to talk about hope in theory. Yet it is another thing to talk about it in practice, where we put it to the test and see if it does what it is supposed to.

I have put my faith to the test, and I have tried out the promises of God. I have taken them all for a test ride. And they have performed beautifully. I have found all those things that I have been preaching over the years to be completely true.

Of course, you don’t have to build your faith on what I tell you. In fact, I hope you never do. But as a Christian who has applied these truths, I have found that God’s promises are completely trustworthy.