What are you hoping for today—perhaps for a better marriage, a strong family unit, a job promotion, or maybe that you'll have a child? Is it a vague hope? I ask that because the word "hope" is used so loosely that we forget the power of hope. I hear people say, "Well, I hope that happens." Hope is far more than that. Hope comes from heaven! First Corinthians 13:13 says that hope is eternal. Hope lasts forever!
God wants you to get your hopes up. If God has spoken a promise to you, if you found a promise in His Word that you believe God has given you, I encourage you to put hope in front of that promise. God created this hope on the inside of you, and He doesn't want you to be vague about it. Hope creates vision! Hope gives your faith something to attach itself to, something to go after. You need a picture of what you're going after to keep that promise alive in your heart, to create a vision so you can make it through the difficult times!
The Scripture says that "faith is the substance of things hoped for" (Hebrews 11:3). Do you have a picture in your mind of what you're hoping for? God designed hope to fuel your faith. Hope picks you up! The Scripture says that "we have this hope as an anchor for the soul" (Hebrews 6:19). It anchors you in disappointing times, in challenging times, in times of failure! If you keep your hopes up, faith will pick you up and move you the fulfillment of the promise.
In the apostle Paul's prayer in Romans 15, he said, "Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit." Paul called Him "the God of all hope." He was saying, "Take your eyes off of your own limitations and get your eyes on God, because He's the One that's going to bring it to pass in His timing and in His way. God is faithful. But it's up to you and me to develop this hope that fuels our faith. Keep your hopes up because hope is from heaven!