Why some people have an ineffective hope …

Hope with strings attached isn’t a hope that can sustain you through difficult times.

And “hope with strings attached” is the kind of hope many people have:

“As long as the doctor says it’s possible …”

“As long as there’s plenty of money …”

“As long as enough people respond …”

“As long as there’s enough support …”

“As long as it’s scientifically possible …”

“As long as enough people show up to help …”

“As long as there’s a ‘fighting chance’ …”

or “As long as there’s a ‘reasonable chance’ …”

“As long as …”

In numerous ways, we reduce our hope in God to very small human limitations.

But God isn’t human!

And hope with such strings attached isn’t hope, it’s a flawed, limited “faith” in something or someone other than a limitless, all-powerful God.

So what does real hope look like? Something like this:

“Even when there was no reason for hope, Abraham kept hoping …” Romans 4:18a.

It’s having hope when everything would indicate there’s no reason to do so … because you trust God that much!

God promised Abraham He would make him the father of many nations. But at 100 years old, it hadn’t happened yet. Everything we know would inform us at that point there is not a single rational reason to continue to hope, not a scintilla of evidence that continuing to hope would be anything but futile.

But, “Even when there was no reason for hope, Abraham kept hoping …”

Not only did Abraham’s hope in God not waiver at that time, his faith increased!

“Even when there was no reason for hope, Abraham kept hoping — believing that he would become the father of many nations. For God had said to him, ‘That’s how many descendants you will have!’ And Abraham’s faith did not weaken, even though, at about 100 years of age, he figured his body was as good as dead — and so was Sarah’s womb. Abraham never wavered in believing God’s promise. In fact, his faith grew stronger, and in this he brought glory to God. He was fully convinced that God is able to do whatever he promises. And because of Abraham’s faith, God counted him as righteous,” Romans 4:18-22.

Okay, so Abraham kept hoping when there was no reason for hope. How did that turn out for him?

“For example, there was God’s promise to Abraham. Since there was no one greater to swear by, God took an oath in his own name, saying: ‘I will certainly bless you, and I will multiply your descendants beyond number.’ Then Abraham waited patiently, and he received what God had promised,” Hebrews 6:13-15.

Abraham had no reason to continue hoping as long as he limited his faith in God to human limitations. But Abraham didn’t do that. Instead, As Paul wrote, Abraham believed ” … that God is able to do whatever he promises.”

Because He is God!

Have you saddled God with some of your own “As long as …” limitations? Have you given up on trusting God because what you hope for doesn’t seem to be humanly possible? Just how far, how long are you willing to trust God?

Scotty