The word "hope" in ordinary English vocabulary is generally distinguished from certainty. We would say, "I don't know what's going to happen, but I hope it happens."
When you read the word "hope" in the Bible (like in 1 Peter 1:13—"set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ"), hope is not wishful thinking. It's not "I don't know if it's going to happen, but I hope it happens." That's absolutely not what is meant by Christian hope.
Christian hope is when God has promised that something is going to happen and you put your trust in that promise. Christian hope is a confidence that something will come to pass because God has promised it will come to pass.
If your life is anchored to God’s Word, you don’t have to become flustered during stressful times.
In a world facing uncertain times, God’s people need hope now more than ever. But hope can be difficult to find when life seems to be caving in and all hell is breaking out around you — especially when you are facing financial pressures, family conflicts, and other stressful situations.
The Bible says there will come a day when everything that can be shaken will be shaken, so “the things which cannot be shaken may remain” (Hebrews 12:27-28). I believe we are experiencing that shaking today, and it’s only just beginning.
So, what does this mean for us? It means we must find God’s hope amid the stormy and stressful seasons of life. Thankfully, God offers us a reliable anchor, assuring us of victory: “This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which enters the Presence behind the veil” (Hebrews 6:19).
Notice that our anchor of hope must enter into the presence of the Lord, “behind the veil.” This means being anchored to God’s unseen, Heavenly realm, NOT to the things we see with our natural senses.
The Apostle Paul pointed out that because of this kind of hope, grounded in the promises of God, “We do not lose heart…we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal” (2 Corinthians 4:16-18).
So if you’re feeling stressed out today, pause for a moment to look past the temporary cares and trials of this world. Fix your eyes on Jesus instead, for He’s “the author and finisher of our faith” (Hebrews 12:2).
This unshakeable hope must be a reality in our lives, not just a nice religious theory. A person who is fully trusting in the Lord will experience His “perfect peace” even when times are tough: “You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You” (Isaiah 26:3).
Isn’t that good news? No matter what you may be going through, you can say as David did, “I have set the Lord always before me; because He is at my right hand I shall not be moved” (Psalm 16:8).
My friend, Jesus offers hope for the hopeless. He’s our strength and confidence, our Rock in times of trouble. Although He never pretended life would be easy, He gave us this great promise:"Trusting Me, you will be unshakeable and assured, deeply at peace. In this godless world you will continue to experience difficulties. But take heart! I’ve conquered the world” (John 16:33 MSG).
What a great anchor for us when the storms of life come!
So, make a choice to stop looking at the problems you face and start looking at Jesus. Stay focused on who HE is, and remember who YOU are in Him. Keep standing on His Word no matter what you see happening around you.
When you trust your anchor, you will “abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit” (Romans 15:13). Your anchor will hold firm!
We are people of hope. We have one—and only one— hope. But it’s a huge hope, and it changes everything. It’s the truth that Jesus Christ rose from the dead, and we will too. We are people of the resurrection. Rooted, built up, and established in Christ—this is our identity.
Peter, a disciple and intimate friend of Jesus, denied Jesus on the night he was betrayed, witnessed the resurrection, preached Jesus at Pentecost, became a leader of the early church, was imprisoned for Christ, and was ultimately martyred for his faith. During great persecution, Peter wrote, “According to [God’s] great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you” (1 Pet. 1:3–4).
Peter rehearses the truth of his one and only hope in Jesus—the same hope he wanted the Christians who were dispersed by persecution to remember. He wanted those scattered for their faith to remember that they were people of hope. They were the people of the resurrection of Jesus. They were born again into his kingdom, and their inheritance was waiting—imperishable, undefiled, and unfading. They had every spiritual blessing then and in heaven.
Christians in the context of early Rome faced great threats, verbal abuse, physical mistreatment, and even death. So Peter told them to prepare their minds for action: “Set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ” (1 Pet. 1:13). In other words, Jesus conquered death and he’s coming back, and then we will receive our inheritance. Peter said to press on, friends. Put your hope in King Jesus. Commit your ways to him. Stay the course. We are a people of true, unfading hope.
So let's look away from the circumstances that confront us, look to Christ, look to the promises, and hold fast to them. Hope comes from the promises of God rooted in the work of Christ.
Sources
Unshakable Hope - Max Lucado
God Will Use This for Good - Max Lucado
https://inspiration.org/christian-articles/unshakeable-hope/
https://www.desiringgod.org/interviews/what-is-so-important-about-christian-hope
https://www.crossway.org/articles/christian-hope-changes-everything/
You Are Never Alone - Max Lucado
Our Ultimate Hope - Max Lucado
