The Strength of Hope

I saw the Hunger Games the night it was released. It has quickly become the biggest movie of the year and one of the biggest movies since Twilight. The biggest crowd this movie appeals to is definitely students. So I went to the movie with an open mind. One of the most interesting quotes I heard in the movie was this, "the only thing more powerful than fear is hope." 


As soon as I heard that quote I began to think about the power of both fear and hope. Fear has the power to make someone never do something ever again or never try it. There is certainly a good fear and a bad fear. A good fear is found when it helps us avoid things that can harm us. I am talking about the fear that shackles us down from doing the things God has called us to. 


What is the emotion that can break that fear, hope. There is power in hope. I heard this past week of a teenager that was adrift in the ocean for 26 days! I wonder what kept him alive? Maybe it was fear, fear of death, fear of never seeing his family, etc. I would think the hope of living and seeing his family again was much stronger.


Scripture has a lot to say about hope. In Psalm 52:5 it says, "Yes, my soul, find rest in God; my hope comes from him(NIV)." A more famous passage in Isaiah 40:31 says, "but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint. (NIV)" You see when you place your hope in God we find strength, a strength more powerful than fear.

So today I pray that you would take up hope and declare like David in the Psalms, "As for me, I will always have hope; I will praise you more and more.(71:14 NIV)" Allow your hope to be placed solely in God and his ability to affect your situation. Don't allow fear to keep you shackled anymore. If anything  else we have the ultimate hope in the hope of heaven and eternal life with him. To me that is worth living for. With that being said I leave you with this command from Paul in Romans, "Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.(12:12 NIV)" In this I know you will find the strength that you need.