Is Hope the Same as Faith?
Last week, my blog was about faith. To me, faith is two-fold:
— Belief, which is the assurance based on what has been proven, and
— Trust, which is the expectation of what will happen based on a proven past.
Hope is being optimistic about the outcome of some situation — but it isn’t based on proof.
Then my mind started to swirl around some verses. And I decided the connotation for the word hope in these verses was really my definition of faith:
— Psalm 119:114: “You are my refuge and my shield; I have put my hope in Your word.”
— Isaiah 40:31: “But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.”
— Micah 7:7: “But as for me, I watch in hope for the Lord, I wait for God my Savior; my God will hear me.”
What I Know About Hope and Faith
But my mind continued to swirl and flip and mull and obsess, trying to come up with an example for when hope means hope and not faith.
When I first started talking to God, and before I understood and could recognize how He works, I didn’t see an event as proof of who He is. It was more like hoping and being uncertain not only about the outcome, but about God. With each passing day, I see more and more proof to back up my belief and trust.
Whether it is the belief or trust part of faith, or hope, God provides wonderful promises in the verses above, and so many more throughout His Word. I can trust and believe and hope because:
— God is my refuge and protector.
— His Word is true, it describes who He is, and He does what He says He will do.
— God renews my physical and emotional strength.
— He is real, and is someone worth waiting for and waiting on.
— God hears me.
What helps you attain hope and remain hopeful?
Hope – What helps you attain hope and remain hopeful? Share on XJoni Vance is an award-winning author of fiction, essay, and poetry. She loves mystery, history, and how God reveals Himself every day.
May God reveal the mystery of His love in your life story.
I loved this post and how it made me think through hope and faith. I enjoyed reading the verses and substituting the word faith for hope. To me, having faith is absolute… you totally believe God is Who He says He is and will do what He says He will. Hope is a little more unsure to me… It’s like I can hope for something, but be unsure as to whether it will happen or not. But with faith, I KNOW, it will happen.
Thank you for reading and sharing, Jane. Grateful God is trustworthy.
Great post, Joni. Really made me think. I did some reading and found that Faith primarily deals with the past or present. Hope deals primarily with the future. Because we have a present faith in Christ we have a future hope in His promises. So, I guess, faith gives me hope. Thanks.
Thank you for your insights, Tim. I appreciate your sharing. Praying for you.