Have you ever looked for real hope? What if we knew where true hope lives?

Pointing out the window to a community in the country, I exclaimed: “Teresa, my friend from high school lives there.” Another friend and I were traveling during the early morning hours to attend a conference near the town where I grew up.

It’s interesting to know where friends or people we meet live and work and worship. 

But what if we knew hope’s address?

Because life’s hurts, heartaches and injustices often leave us feeling overwhelmed and hopeless. Or, our dreams hunger for fulfillment.

Still, true hope lives closer than you think. Let’s find out hope’s address. 

True Hope Lives Closer Than You Think

Google defines hope, “A feeling of expectation and desire for a certain thing to happen.” 

All humans hope:

I hope to lose weight.

My friend carries many hopes in her heart.

The pastor said not to give up hope.

We hope our brother pulls through this illness.

Yet, sometimes things happen differently than we wanted. Hope exists in many forms. But when we cling to false hopes, they soon fizzle and leave us empty-handed.

Women often come to me looking for authentic hope. Did I pray enough? Where is God? Will He come through for me?

These are women in tough places. Hearts broken by tragedy. Languishing dreams with no pillow to lay their heads. In the same way, I relate to times of hard circumstances. Perhaps you can relate as well.

There’s something I want you to know. You are never far from hope. 

Finding Where True Hope Lives

Friend, I want true hope. I’m guessing so do you.

This desire stirred my heart to search for the long-lasting kind. A quest more than just, Come out, come out, wherever you are! Hope with roots in something other than this world. So, I turned to God’s Word.

“For whatever was written in the former days was written for our instruction, that through perseverance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.” Romans 15:4 (ESV)

You see, once we tap into the source of real hope, we make another discovery. True hope lives really close by.

The God of 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)

God’s powerful actions, the work of His hands, brings hope into our lives.

First, God fills us with His joy and peace, so that we abound in hope through the power of the Holy Spirit.

With help again from Google, abound means “exist in large numbers or amounts.” Synonyms include, “abundant.”

The verbs fill and abound illustrate the abundant life Christ promises believers. Leaving the grandeur of heaven, for our sake, Jesus became poor so that we—joint-heirs with Him—become rich. We overflow with abundant hope.

True Hope Lives in Us

When Jesus lives in us through the Holy Spirit, He brings hope near. It’s not just around the corner, off in the distance, or on the other side of glory. And hope is not something we muster up in our own power.

But hope’s something we possess—a gift from God. Our spiritual clothes contain deep pockets with blessings, never short-changed on peace, joy, love, grace, mercy, comfort, or hope.

We hope in Jesus. Jesus is our hope. He’s the essence of authentic hope.

Our driver’s license displays our picture, describes a few of our physical attributes and notes our address. Likewise, our Christian ID card contains descriptive terms: beloved, child of God, saint, in Christ, chosen and free. Others say; Oh, she looks like her Father. Hope lives in her. 

Does Jesus live in you? Is your name written in the Lamb’s book of life? If you answered yes, then stop looking for hope’s address. Hope lives wherever the presence of Jesus dwells—in you.

Dear brother and sister in God’s family, cling to this: Christ in you, the hope of glory (Colossians 1:27).

Walk forward in the Holy Spirit’s power, believing hope abounds in you, because it does.

Also see, The Voice of Hope.

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