FAITH WITHOUT HOPE IS WEIRD - by Steve Buckland

I remember hearing Wendy speak these words while we were preaching together years ago. It captures an important truth for those who want to have a healthy faith.  Hope is an overall optimistic attitude about the future based on the goodness and promises of God. I am not a proponent of simple positive thinking, but I do ascribe to biblical optimism. “Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful” (Hebrews 10:23).  Faith is very specific while hope is more general.  Faith says, “God is going to do this!” Hope says, “I don’t know what God is going to do but good things are coming.”  We are all waiting on something. Whether it’s a promise from God, restoration for our family, breakthrough in our finances, or physical healing, things are not where we’d like them to be. Although faith keeps us focused on the breakthrough that is coming for us, hope helps us thrive in the season we’re in right now.  Without hope, it is impossible to thrive until things are perfect. Hope says the future will be better than the present and I have the power to help make it so. You don’t have to wait a single day to have radical hope. It might not be a convenient time to stir up radical hope, but you can thrive right now, even in the season of waiting for what’s to come.  Let’s explore more about the difference between faith and hope:   Faith-people without hope tend to believe they cannot really live until certain things happen. Faith-people with hope are living while they are waiting.    Faith-people without hope have difficulty overcoming disappointment because they believe their fulfillment and purpose depend on specific things happening. Faith-people with hope are adaptable and believe they can thrive in whatever situation they face.    Faith-people without hope tend to have a spirit of heaviness while they are waiting for something to happen. Faith-people with hope are delighters in the Lord while they are waiting for their desires to be fulfilled. “Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart” (Psalm 37:4). Delighting, a main aspect of hope, is key to seeing what we are believing for in faith to manifest.  When we add hope to our faith, we become adaptable and live with many options. For more on hope, check out my online devotional, "40 Days of Hope" Click to check out Steve's book, "Igniting Hope in 40 Days"