God and Hope
“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.”
Romans 15:13 (ESV)
Hope is not optimism. Optimism says "everything will work out" by betting on circumstances. Hope says something else: it says "He has overcome", by betting on God. This is a distinction that becomes crucial when things do not work out.
In the face of grief, of a broken project, of an illness that does not heal, optimism wears out quickly. Hope holds — because it does not rest on what you see, but on the One you know. Paul calls God the God of hope: He is its source, not just its object. You can be sad and hope. You can be tried and hold on. This is not contradictory; it is the mark of faith.
And hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.
Romans 5:5 (ESV)
We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters into the inner place behind the curtain.
Hebrews 6:19 (ESV)
"The LORD is my portion," says my soul, "therefore I will hope in him."
Lamentations 3:24 (ESV)