Does It SeemThere Is No Hope? By B. L. Moore, Jr.

  B. L. Moore, Jr., M.D.

    Black clouds fill the sky. The storm has battered the small ship and it is sinking. Men are struggling in the swirling waters, their anguished faces crying out for help. A flash of lightning reveals a large rock in the distance. There is hope! If only they can reach the Rock!

    Do you feel like there is darkness all around? That the raging storm has you battered and sinking? Is there no rock to which you can cling? Does it seem there is no hope?

    As a physician, I have seen many patients who have no hope. Some have reached the place of total despair, and see no way to escape. When hopelessness fills one’s life, there seems to be no reason for living, and some are driven to suicide.

Biblical Hope

    Because I believe the Bible contains the answers to our deepest needs, I searched the Scriptures to find hope for my patients and others who need it so much. One thing I found is that Biblical hope does not mean wishful thinking. We say, "I hope that will happen," meaning, "I am not sure, but I wish it will happen."


    Hope in the Bible means something totally different. Do you remember how you used to mark the number of days until Christmas on a calendar? That is the way hope is used in the Bible. It means you are joyfully looking forward to something that you know will take place.

Examples of Hope

    In the Bible I found that Abraham had hope. Though he and Sarah were old and beyond human hope to have a baby, Abraham believed God’s promise that they would have a son. God kept His promise and Abraham became the father of many nations.

    Paul had hope. Although he suffered beatings and imprisonments, Paul believed God’s promise that he would carry His name to the Gentiles and kings. God kept His promise and Paul took the message of Christ across the Roman Empire.

God’s Promises and Hope

    Did you notice that both of these great men based their hope on the promises of God? The Bible says that it is impossible for God to lie (Titus 1:2). If God makes a promise, He will keep it! Hope in the Bible is always tied to a promise of God. It has been said that faith is confidence in God’s Word. Hope is confidence in God’s promises.

Obtaining Hope

    You may say, "I would like to have that kind of hope." May I show you some things the Bible teaches about hope?

    We must know Jesus Christ as Lord. We must accept Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord, for "without Christ..." there is "no hope...in the world" (Eph. 2:12).

    We receive hope as we learn God’s Word. "For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we...might have hope"(Rom. 15:4).

    If we want to have hope, we must take Christ as our Savior and learn God’s Word to know what He has promised. Someone has counted over 7,000 promises in the Bible. These are medicine for our souls, better than any pill a physician may prescribe.

Promises to Give Hope

    Here are a few of God’s promises to meet our needs:

    For those who are sick and may be in pain: Take God’s promise, "Call for the elders of the church" to pray over you. "Confess your faults...that ye may be healed" (James 5:14, 16).

    For those who are afraid of what the future holds: God promised His children in Isaiah 41:10, "Fear thou not; for I am with thee. Be not dismayed; for I am thy God...."

    For those who are worried about finances: Take Christ’s promise in Matthew 6:33, "But seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you."

    For those who may be afraid of death: Christ promised in John 10:27-28, "My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me: and I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish."

    For those who are discouraged and see no hope: One of God’s most precious promises is in Romans 8:28, "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God...."

Obedience and Hope

    Have you noticed that the promises of God seem to be dependent on our obedience? The Bible often tells us that if we will do a certain thing, God promises that He will bless us in a special way. Christ said, "He that hath My commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth Me: ...and I will love him, and will manifest Myself to him" (John 14:21).

    The promises of help and blessing are to those who trust in the Lord and obey Him. When we love Him and obey His words, we can claim those wonderful promises.

Circumstances and Hope

    Another observation about biblical hope: it does not depend upon our circumstances. In fact, the darker our circumstances, the brighter God’s hope shines. Paul knew this. At one time he even exclaimed that he gloried in tribulations: "...knowing that tribulation worketh...experience: and experience, hope" (Rom. 5:3-4). Paul’s hope increased in the midst of his trials, as he found that the Lord kept His promises, and supplied all his needs by Christ Jesus.

The Rock, Our Hope

    Do you need hope? Do you seem battered and sinking? Do not despair! Do not look at the darkness and the storm all about you.

    Look to Jesus. Reach out to Him as your Savior. He is your Rock in the storm.

    Obey the Lord and claim His promises. He will keep His Word. You can joyfully look forward to that.

    There is hope!

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