Hope Against Hope (Part 1)

Main Text:

"Who against hope believed in hope, that he might become the father of many nations, according to that which was spoken, So shall thy seed be. (Romans 4:18) (KJV)

“Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many nations, just as it had been said to him, "So shall your offspring be." (Rom 4:18) (NIV)

What is Hope?

In the Wikipedia, hope is defined as “belief in a positive outcome related to events and circumstance in one’s life”. It is a belief in that which is a positive outcome. In the world we live in however, an expected positive outcome may turn out negative.
It can be seen from these two translations of this same verse of Romans 4 that they are indeed two types of hope. One, the hope of this world and two, the hope in God Almighty; the Maker of all things!
In this present world, many of us hope for things which in the end become a mirage!How can we have the real 'hope' in this ever-changing world and yet be sure our hopes would not be dashed; and in the end becoming hapless victims of our circumstances?Two Examples of Men who Hope in God Almighty:

David: In the Old Testament, in all his travails and trials he passed through especially when King Saul wanted to kill him, David placed his hope in God solely!

“I wait for the LORD, my soul waits, And in His word I do hope. My soul waits for the Lord More than those who watch for the morning— Yes, more than those who watch for the morning. O Israel, hope in the LORD; For with the LORD there is mercy, And with Him is abundant redemption.” (Psalm 130:5-7)

Paul: He was involved in many trials, temptations and tempests but Apostle Paul remained calm and confident in the God of all comfort like he told the Corinthians in 2 Corinthians 1. “And our hope for you is steadfast…………………that we should not trust in ourselves but in God who raises the dead, who delivered us from so great a death, and does deliver us; in whom we trust that He will still deliver us” (2 Cor 1:7, 9-10).
There was a time that Paul and others were in great storm and people with him were so despaired of life that for 14 days they refused to eat but bemoan their fate, having lost faith in any means of deliverance. But Paul admonished them to eat stating: “For there stood by me this night an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I serve, saying, ‘Do not be afraid, Paul; you must be brought before Caesar; and indeed God has granted you all those who sail with you.’ Therefore take heart, men, for I believe God that it will be just as it was told me.” (Acts 27: 23-25)

Sources of Hope

a). The Lord Jesus Christ: This is sure and steadfast as the Bible says:
"This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which enters the Presence behind the veil, where the forerunner has entered for us, even Jesus…” (Heb 6:19). It is a hope that is safe, secure and sure. It can not fail! The name of the Lord Jesus is a strong tower for believers in all situations.

b). Word of God: We can all place our hopes in the infallible and incorruptible Word of God that lives and abides forever! The grass may wither and the flower may fade, but the Word of our God abides forever (Isaiah 40:8). The Holy Spirit is the author of the Word as written in 2 Tim 3:16-17. David in all his travails between the time of his anointing and his actual reigning on the throne faced a lot of difficult trials almost cutting short his life; but he hoped in God by holding dear His Word: “I wait for the LORD, my soul waits, and in His word I do hope.” (Psalm 130:5)

c). Promises of God: What is the promise God has given you in time past? You can put him to remembrance like Daniel did in the land of captivity reminding God of His promise to Israel that after 70 years He will bring them out of captivity. God’s Word declares in the book of Isaiah thus: “Put Me in remembrance; let us contend together; state your case, that you may be acquitted.” (Isaiah 43:26). We are to put God to remembrance of His promises! Can He forget? No, He cannot; as He is Omniscient but He wants to test our faith whether we can still trust in Him despite all odds saying no to His promises coming to pass in our lives. This is the real hoping in Him! Paul the Apostle could declare in the midst of deadly storm: “Therefore take heart, men, for I believe God that it will be just as it was told me.” (Act 27:25). In the midst of a strong and raging storm Paul could declare this to all in the ship. To an expert, the ship was doomed to wreck! God proved His faithfulness to Paul and all with Him in the ship by keeping His promise. He is faithful; God is not a man who may change His mind on an issue.

Encounters with God

This made me to remember an episode one of my mentors, Bishop Francis Wale Oke, of the Sword of the Spirit Ministries, told some of us. He was returning home from Harare, Zimbabwe after attending Evan Reinhard Bonnke’s first Fire Conference in 1986. In the flight to Lagos, there was a real problem that almost everyone in the plane was in a panicky situation. Bishop Francis Wale Oke said he disregarded the instruction of the pilot at a time when he noticed that the man was confused. He refused to fasten the seat belt; rather he loosed his seat belt, stood up and to the hearing of everyone in the plane commanded the plane to behave normal in the name of Jesus Christ. The plane ‘heard’ the voice of God’s servant! The plane landed safely in Lagos, Nigeria and everyone was so happy that many went to him asking for his name card and wanted to know more about him.

Another encounter was when I arrived newly in Singapore 2005. In visions and revelations, God impressed it upon me to wait that He is at work in my Mission assignment. There was a time, I saw myself at a road junction, in one of the visions, and I wanted to cross, and saw the traffic light giving a red light signal. God spoke to my heart; wait for my green light! It was tough, as I was facing all kinds of pressure from many sides. God gave me the grace to hope in Him and His promises to me; at the end He proved Himself faithful as it is evidenced today in my life in Singapore. TheLord Jesus Christ is faithful.

Beloved, our mouth is loaded with the precious and powerful Word of God, let us put our hope in Him and released His Word; He will surely perform His Word as it is written: “He who calls you is faithful, who also will do it.” (1 Thess 5:24).

Conclusion:

There is hope that does not fail: it is the hope in the Lord Jesus Christ, His Word and His promises! Remember, the hope we have as christians is a living a hope; our hope is in the person of the Lord Jesus Christ who lives for ever:
“Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ, by the commandment of God our Savior and the Lord Jesus Christ, our hope” (1 Tim 1:1

John M. O. Ekundayo
Singapore
SE Asia