[Editor's Note: This article is the fourth in a series on the theme “Being a Man of Hope.” Click here to find the first article, the second article, or the third article.]
Hope is faith directed to the future. It’s faith acting on and trusting in the promises God has made. It’s hope that moves us to say “Yes” to God, and it’s hope that gives meaning to our trials. Hope tells us that we are destined to live with Christ and it gives us the ability to continue on the road of discipleship in freedom and trust.
As Catholic men, we will all experience difficulties at different points in our lives. But no circumstance, no pain, no suffering can ever negate the hope we have in Christ, and in God’s promises in Scripture. Both the Old and New Testaments are filled with hundreds of passages on hope. From these passages, we see how important it is to live out our Christian lives as “men of hope.” Below is a small sample of these passages. Spend some time prayerfully reading and reflecting on these Scripture passages, and then use the questions for reflection/discussion to go deeper into your understanding of them.
SCRIPTURES ON HOPE
OLD TESTAMENT
“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” (Jeremiah 29:11)
“You will be secure, because there is hope; you will look about you and take your rest in safety.” (Job 11:18)
“Though He slay me, yet will I hope in Him.” (Job 13:15)
“No one whose hope is in You will ever be put to shame.” (Psalm 25:3)
“Be strong and take heart, all you who hope in the LORD.” (Psalm 31:24)
“But the eyes of the LORD are on those who fear Him, on those whose hope is in His unfailing love,
to deliver them from death and keep them alive in famine.” (Psalm 33:18-19)
“We wait in hope for the LORD; He is our help and our shield. In Him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in His holy name. May your unfailing love rest upon us, O LORD, even as we put our hope in You.” (Psalm 33:20-22)
“For evil men will be cut off, but those who hope in the LORD will inherit the land” (Psalm 37:9)
“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.” (Isaiah 40:31)
“Those who hope in Me will not be disappointed.” (Isaiah 49:23)
“The LORD is good to those whose hope is in Him, to the one who seeks Him.” (Lamentations 3:25)
“But as for me, I watch in hope for the LORD, I wait for God my Savior; my God will hear me.” (Micah 7:7)
NEW TESTAMENT
“In His name the nations will put their hope.” (Matthew 12:21)
“Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many nations, just as it had been said to him.” (Romans 4:18)
“And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God.” (Romans 5:3)
“For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what he already has? But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.” (Romans 8:24-25)
“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” (Romans 15:13)
“If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all men.” (1 Corinthians 15:9)
“Therefore, since we have such a hope, we are very bold.” (2 Corinthians 3:12)
“To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.” (Colossians 1:27)
“Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment.” (1 Timothy 6:17)
“So that, having been justified by His grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life.” (Titus 3:17)
“We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure.” (Hebrews 6:19)
“Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for He who promised is faithful.” (Hebrews 10:23)
“In His great mercy He has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade — kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God's power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time.” (1 Peter 1:3-5)
“Everyone who thus hopes in Him, purifies himself as He is pure.” (1 John 3:3)
Questions for Reflection/Discussion on Page 2
(This article is part of NFCM's sponsorship of the Catholic Man channel and originally appeared in the Catholic Men’s E-zine, Being a Man of Hope, (Mar-Apr 2003 issue) which is available on the NFCM website. You may email them at info@nrccm.org. Many thanks to the The Word Among Us for allowing us to include some material from various daily meditations.)
Questions for Reflection/Discussion by Catholic Men
1. Based on your meditation and reflection on the Scripture passages on hope, which ones touched you the most? Why?
2. From the above Scripture passages, what are some of the promises of God for those that hope in Him? How can these promises of God strengthens us in our time of need?
3. What is your understanding of the Christian meaning of hope based on the following Scripture passages: Romans 8:24-25, 1 Corinthians 15:9, Colossians 1:27, and 1 Peter 1:3-5?
4. The Scripture passages above demonstrate the importance of hope on how we live out our Christian life. How have these passages impacted your view of the importance of hope in your own life?
