Romans 15:13
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing (through the experience of your faith) that by the power of the Holy Spirit you will abound in hope and overflow with confidence in His promises.

When we have hope, our attitude changes. We glimpse what can be, and our thoughts shift toward a positive outcome. The promises of God are the foundation and strength for our ability to believe. Without that, the promise that we hope for will never appear because it takes God’s ability for those promises to appear.

Jeremiah 29:11
For I know the plans and thoughts I have for you, says the Lord, plans for peace and well-being and not for disaster to give you a future and a hope.

Hope is rooted in God’s promises and an expectation of future blessings. Hope expects God to keep His Word and bring about blessings in the future. Hope looks toward the future, knowing that God can change the circumstances.

Hebrews 11:1
Now faith is the assurance (title deed confirmation) of things hoped for (divinely guaranteed), and the evidence of things not seen (the conviction of their reality-faith comprehends as fact what cannot be experienced by physical senses).

Faith and hope have key differences. Hope wants something to happen and is an expectation. Faith believes something is going to happen even when it isn’t seen. They are both specific and believing for something. A person in faith does not doubt the answer is coming, while a person in hope isn’t as assured.

1 Peter 1:22
Since by your obedience to the truth you have purified yourselves for a sincere love of the believers, (see that you) love one another from the heart (always unselfishly seeking the best for one another).

Our obedience to the truth will change our hearts and increase our love for other believers. As we grow in the Word, we are to grow in the spirit and develop patience and kindness toward each other. Always seeking the best and not being self-serving like the world but set apart.

Daniel 9:13
Just as it is written in the Law of Moses, all this tragedy has come on us. Yet we have not wholeheartedly begged for forgiveness and sought the favor of the Lord our God by turning from our wickedness and paying attention to and placing value in your truth.

How much better our lives are when we keep a constant relationship with Jesus and follow the Word. When we keep His laws and follow the truth in the Word, we can avoid many problems. Sometimes, we need to repent and ask for forgiveness; that is all God is waiting for us to do.

2 Corinthians 4:3-4
But even if our gospel is hidden (behind a veil), it is hidden (only) to those who are perishing; among them, the god of this world (Satan) has blinded the minds of the unbelieving to prevent them from seeing the illuminating light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.

We are drawn toward God either by our life experiences and choices or away. People have pivotal moments, and decisions are made. The illuminating light of the gospel and good experiences with Christians are key to salvation. Pray that the eyes of their understanding are opened so they can know the hope of the calling of Jesus.

Zechariah 8:16
These are the things which you should do: speak the truth with one another; judge with truth and pronounce judgement that brings peace in (the courts at) your gates.

Sin creates a tangle for our souls, spirits, families, and lives. A choice is made that the benefit of sin outweighs the benefit of truth. Except, the truth sets us free. Truth has nothing to hide, and yes, we sometimes make errors, but we are to confess the error, change, and move on. A life of truth brings peace.

Romans 1:18
For (God does not overlook sin and) the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who in their wickedness suppress and stifle the truth.

Seeing wicked people prevailing in the world will be frustrating and stressful. However, they will not prevail against God. We cannot give up hope because that is what the devil wants. We must stand in faith and on the Word until God brings the answer. We are the barrier that prays God down from heaven to bring righteous order and truth back to earth.

John 18:37-38
So Pilate said to Him, “Then You are a King?” Jesus answered, “You say (correctly) that I am a King. This is why I was born, and for this I have come into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth (who is a friend of the truth and belongs to the truth) hears and listens carefully to My voice.” Pilate said to Him (scornfully), “What is truth?” And when he had said this, he went out to the Jews again and told them, “I find no guilt in Him (no crime, no cause for an accusation).

Not everyone wants to hear the truth of Jesus or feel the sting of conviction. God’s truth from the Bible teaches the good and bad of human nature, our nature. If we are of the truth, the Word will become alive in our hearts and our minds. We listen carefully to learn and develop our spirits. Jesus came for our redemption to remove the cause of accusation for those who believe in Him.

Psalm 25:4-5
Let me know Your ways, O Lord; teach me Your Paths. Guide me in Your truth and teach me, for You are the God of my salvation; for You (and only You) I wait all day long.

The truth of Jesus is always a straight path to God. At the same time, sin has many dead ends, leading to a dissatisfied soul. Jesus came to build people up and to regain the connection to the divine God. No longer are we severed from the truth of God’s Word. No longer are we helpless, but we now have a world overcoming power through Jesus. We have hope.