Prisoners of Hope

The word hope gets used a lot. We frequently hear people say things like, “Well I hope it all works out!” or “I hope things get better.” But what, really, is hope?

Hope is the confident expectation that something good is going to happen. It’s closely related to our faith and what we believe. I like to say that hope is the foundation that faith stands on.

When we receive bad news of any kind, the enemy wants us to fear the worst and be hope-less. He wants to convince us that our best days are behind us and nothing will ever turn out right.

But God wants us to be full of hope—believing, expecting, and anticipating great things from Him. In fact, the Bible says He is the “God of hope,” full of mercy and new beginnings (Romans 15:13).

For instance, I recently went to the doctor to have my hearing checked. After some tests, I learned that I had lost a significant percentage of my hearing in my left ear. They said there was really nothing they could do unless I was open to having a pretty major surgery.

I had a choice to make. I could allow myself to get down and depressed and wonder why this had to happen, or I could hold on to hope! So, I decided to put my faith in God and trust Him to work something great out of my situation. I didn’t understand it all, but I did my best to stay peaceful. A few months later, out of the blue, my hearing mysteriously returned! The doctors couldn’t explain it, but we are thanking God for His healing!

I absolutely love Zechariah 9:12 (AMPC). The Lord says, Return to the stronghold [of security and prosperity], you prisoners of hope; even today do I declare that I will restore double your former prosperity to you.

What does it mean to become a “prisoner of hope”? It means that regardless of what happens in our lives, we refuse to stop hoping and trusting in God’s ability to come through.

When you become a prisoner of hope, the enemy doesn’t know what to do. He may come against you with fearful thoughts, but he has no power to harm you when you are determined to continually put all of your trust in God.

Pray: “Father, thank You that all things are possible with You. In the midst of my circumstances, when fearful thoughts come, help me to believe, expect and anticipate the good things You are going to do in my life. In Jesus’ name, amen.”