Many times when we think of hope, we think of childhood dreams or wishes. A child might hope she gets to meet all the Disney Princesses. He might hope he is finally tall enough to ride the Goliath at Six Flags. But those dreams may not come true.

Sometimes we transfer that working definition of hope to our relationship with God. We think of our desire for heaven the same way. We tend to communicate that we hope we make it to heaven, but we are not quite sure.

Our hope in Christ is not a possibly unsatisfied longing,. Our hope is a desire mixed with anticipation, and accompanied by certain expectation. As a child of God, I have a desire to have an eternal home in heaven. Likewise, I am anticipating what eternity will be like. I also expect that I will be there.

“Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also. And you know the way to where I am going.” (John 14:1-4)

“I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God that you may know that you have eternal life.” (1 John 5:13)

Hope in the pages of Scripture is not an uncertain longing, but an expected reality. After all, Paul says that “hope saves” (Rom 8:24) and that Godly “hope does not disappoint” (Rom 5:3-5).

-Scott

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