Scriptures About Hope

March 31st, 2022

What is Hope?

What is hope? Is it a wishy- washy maybe or a kind of unsure optimism? The modern idea of hope is “to wish for, to expect, but without certainty of the fulfillment; to desire very much, but with no real assurance of getting your desire.”

But for Christians, hope is so much more than a wish.
Hope is ... confident expectation.
Hope is ... sure certainty.
Hope is ... knowing that what God has promised in the Word is true, has occurred, and or will in accordance with God’s sure Word.

hope: to trust in, wait for, look for, or desire something or someone; or to expect something beneficial in the future.

Let's take a look at what the following scriptures tell us about hope in God,

“Are there any among the false gods of the nations that can bring rain? Or can the heavens give showers? Are you not he, O LORD our God? We set our hope on you, for you do all these things.” Jeremiah 14:22

Israel has been under a drought. The people here are saying that they know the false gods and idols are worthless to end the drought. I imagine some were praying to these false gods to bring rain, to no avail. But the believers recognized that only the God who made the heavens could make them rain. In "We set our hope on you" the Hebrew word used here for hope is qavah, which translates to expected, wait patiently. So this could paraphrase, we set out hope on you, patiently waiting with expectation that you, God, will bring rain and end this drought.

“For to this end we toil and strive, because we have our hope set on the living God, who is the Savior of all people, especially of those who believe”. 1 Timothy 4:10

In the previous Scriptures, Paul is talking about being trained in and sharing the "words of faith and good doctrine" and living in godliness. This speaks to "for to this end". "We toil and strive" is an illustration of the work of Paul and Timothy and other Christian teachers. Paul is saying they, and others like them, share the teachings of Jesus because of their hope in God. The Greek, elpikamen, (hope) means to trust and expect. Paul, and Bible teachers like him today, share the Word of God because of the trust and expectation that God will fulfill his promises of salvation through Jesus Christ.

“For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees?” Romans 8:24

In this verse we see another word for hope, the Greek elpidi, which means trust, confidence and expectation. I find interesting the two later sections of this verse. We can understand "that is seen" to mean something similar to "to be in possession of or have". One commentary explained it this way, "We believe for what we are not yet in possession of (eternal life with God), we must therefore hope and patiently wait for that which we believe will come to pass.

Ultimately for the Christian believer, our hope is in the fulfillment of the promise of salvation and everlasting life in heaven with God the father.

Read more about Hope in the Grace issue of Sweet To The Soul FAITH Magazine.

We have curated 31 Scriptures to help you dive deeper into God's Word to learn what God has to tell us about hope. Keep scrolling to the bottom of this page to access a printable list of these Scriptures.

2 Corinthians 3:12	Since we have such a hope, we are very bold,
Jeremiah 29:11	For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.
Psalm 43:5	Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation and my God.
Romans 5:3-4	Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope
1 Peter 1:13	Therefore, preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.

Hebrews 11:1	Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.
Proverbs 24:14	Know that wisdom is such to your soul; if you find it, there will be a future, and your hope will not be cut off.
Psalm 71:14	But I will hope continually and will praise you yet more and more.
Romans 8:25	But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.
Colossians 1:4-5	we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love that you have for all the saints, because of the hope laid up for you in heaven. Of this you have heard before in the word of the truth, the gospel,

Job 11:18	And you will feel secure, because there is hope; you will look around and take your rest in security.
Psalm 62:5	For God alone, O my soul, wait in silence, for my hope is from him.
Romans 5:5	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.
1 John 3:3	And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure.
Ephesians 4:4	There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call—

Micah 7:7	But as for me, I watch in hope for the LORD, I wait for God my Savior; my God will hear me.
Psalm 71:14	But I will hope continually and will praise you yet more and more.
Romans 8:24	For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees?
1 Timothy 4:10	For to this end we toil and strive, because we have our hope set on the living God, who is the Savior of all people, especially of those who believe.
Jeremiah 14:22	Are there any among the false gods of the nations that can bring rain? Or can the heavens give showers? Are you not he, O LORD our God? We set our hope on you, for you do all these things.

Psalm 39:7	“And now, O Lord, for what do I wait? My hope is in you.
Romans 4:18	In hope he believed against hope, that he should become the father of many nations, as he had been told, “So shall your offspring be.”
1 Peter 3:15	but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect,
Hebrews 6:18-19	God did this so that, by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled to take hold of the hope set before us may be greatly encouraged. We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain,
Psalm 130:5	I wait for the LORD, my soul waits, and in his word I hope;

Romans 12:12	Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.
Titus 3:6-7	whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life
1 Thessalonians 1:3	We remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.
Isaiah 40:31	but they who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.
Psalm 147:11	but the LORD takes pleasure in those who fear him, in those who hope in his steadfast love.
Romans 15:13	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.

Dear Lord,
We come to you today filled with hope and a grateful heart.
There are many days that we can thank you for the abundant
hope You so lovingly provide. There are other days when
we run into seemingly hopeless situations, and You are there
to scoop us up in your protective hands, reassuring us that
our faith in You is all that is needed.

Father, continue to fill our days with hope as a reminder that
you are the God who comforts us and meets our every need.
It is You who fills us with joy and peace as we trust in You.
Living a life filled with hope requires us to commit to the Word,
read the Word, and stay in the Word. Our comfort lies in
Your faithfulness, protection, strength, and grace.
You hear our pleas and answer our prayers according
to Your Will.

Help us to walk in Your light and to remember that You
are the God of hope, whose love is endless.
.
In Jesus’ name, Amen.

~ Mitzi Neely

Diving Deeper

As you read through the Scriptures featured, consider:

How do each of the Scriptures help to support the understanding "Ultimately for the Christian believer, our hope is in the fulfillment of the promise of salvation and everlasting life in heaven with God the father."
How does understanding the meaning of hope as "waiting patiently, expectation, trust, confidence in God" impact your understanding of each Scripture?
Given both of these definitions, what does each Scripture reveal to you about God?

Resources

Download this printable HOPE Scripture List and keep in your Bible or journal for quick reference.

Jana Kennedy Spicer is a born and raised Texas girl who has a heart for studying God’s Word and is passionate about encouraging women to do the same. She is the author of Let Your Light Shine: Being a Light in a Dark World; Praying For Revival; Inspiring Women: Who They Are and How To Be One and Gracious Words: Speaking with Kindness and Mercy; and the illustrator of the scripture based Garden of Life Coloring Book and Coloring the Scriptures.