Hope

And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out His love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom He has given us.

—Romans 5:5

Hope.

Sometimes it seems so far away.

Dictionary dot com gives eight definitions of hope (eight!):

1. the feeling that what is wanted can be had or that events will turn outfor the best:

to give up hope.

2. a particular instance of this feeling:

the hope of winning.

3. grounds for this feeling in a particular instance:

There is little or no hope of his recovery.

4. a person or thing in which expectations are centered:

The medicine was her last hope.

5. something that is hoped for:

Her forgiveness is my constant hope.

6. to look forward to with desire and reasonable confidence.

7. to believe, desire, or trust:

I hope that my work will be satisfactory.

8. to feel that something desired may happen:

We hope for an early spring.

For a Christ follower, hope is the assurance that what we believe will happen.

We could call it spiritual confidence.

We have that spiritual confidence because more than just a wish, more than just an emotion, more than just a belief rests in our heart; God himself lives in us through His Holy Spirit.

When we become Christ followers, Jesus pours out the Spirit upon us as God's gift to us to cleanse us, make us part of the same Body, and live inside us.

One more thing to add to that list of blessings from God's presence within us — God's love.

We don't just have it; God keeps refreshing it through the Holy Spirit, just as Jesus had promised.

Don’t ever lose hope.

Have a blessed day!