Perhaps no where do we see the link between faith and hope as clearly as we do throughout the psalms recorded in the Bible. Over one third of the psalms are classified as songs of lament, expressing deep sorry, sadness, and struggle. Yet, in all but one of these psalms, the writer makes an about shift, turning from expressions of despair to those of hope. Faith overrules! Hope rises! Such authentic expressions cause me to appreciate the psalms so much more.
Can you relate to David in Psalm 42, as he pours out his soul to God? Without a home, absent from corporate worship, accompanied by the daily uncertainty of survival, everything appears hopeless. He fully recognizes how “downcast” his soul has become. “Why are you in despair, O my soul? And why have you become restless and disturbed within me?” His mind and emotions feel crushed under the weight of circumstances. But in the very next breath he declares,, “Hope in God and wait expectantly for Him.” He adds, “for I shall again praise Him for the help of His presence.”
Can you relate? Do you see it? How he stirs himself to look and feel beyond the natural?
When there was no reason to hope, faith and hope linked arms. Faith and hope rest secure in one source, our Savior and our God. From the Old Testament writers to New Testament apostles, and finally to us, this thread of faith and hope proves strong and steadfast.
“Through Christ you have come to trust in God. And you have placed your faith and hope in God because he raised Christ from the dead and gave him great glory.”
1 Peter 1:21
Faith and Hope
Rather than ignore troubles, make excuses, or deny dangers, faith and hope allows us to look at present circumstances through the lens of Almighty God. More specifically, the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ assure us, offering quiet confidence in the midst of trouble. His victory has become ours!
“Faith shows the reality of what we hope for; it is the evidence of things we cannot see.”
Hebrews 11:1
Only in the eternal reality of faith and hope will courage and confidence take root. Rather than delusional or wishful thinking, they offer the impetus for positive action. They give us the strength to make wise choices as we move toward brighter days.
The not-so-secret difference between a dictionary and biblical definition of hope is the God factor. As Christians, we base all our faith and hope in who God is — nothing more and nothing less. Without God as the object of our faith and hope, all certainty has been removed.
Oh, what advantage He gives to us, even though for a season we may lament as the psalmists before us.
“Three things will last forever—faith, hope, and love—and the greatest of these is love.”
1 Corinthians 13:13
Bible Verses
Just in case you think I’m grasping at a weak link between faith and hope, allow these verses to speak for themselves.
- “We remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ (1 Thessalonians 1:3).
- “But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, putting on faith and love as a breastplate, and the hope of salvation as a helmet (1 Thessalonians 5:8).
- “…continue in your faith, established and firm, and do not move from the hope held out in the gospel… (Colossians 1:23).
“Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.”
Romans 5:1-5
Oh, my dear friends, I have no idea what challenges you are facing today. I do know God is sufficient to carry you, me, and us through those great difficulties. I’m not here to provide idle platitudes or empty promises. He will not forsake you! He forever proves faithful to all He has promised on your behalf. My humble prayer for each of you is this:
“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”
Romans 15:13
Psalms of Encouragement
David speaks from personal experience when he says, “weeping may stay for the night, but rejoicing comes in the morning” (Psalm 30:5). He finishes this song of lament with
“You (God) turned my wailing into dancing; you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy, that my heart may sing your praises and not be silent. LORD my God, I will praise you.” Psalm 30:11-12
I understand enough of David’s story to know that the dancing and joy came long before his trials ended. They were a purposeful faith and hope response to the goodness and faithfulness of God. Because God is unchangeable and consistent in all He promises, David held a sure faith that a new day was coming — if not on this side, on the other.
Because of Jesus, we, too, may hold to the same confidence.
For more psalms of encouragement, check out these additional thoughts on faith and hope:
Psalm 84 — When All Else Fails God Doesn’t
4 Promises from Psalm 34 — Tell of the Lord’s Greatness
Psalm 91: Promise of Protection
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