Hope

By Sándor Németh

“One of the very important messages of the Bible is hope. Actually, this spiritual reality that keeps people’s lives on the right path is found in the pages of the Bible more often than we think. This spiritual reality is what leads us to a positive inner strength and a proper faith-filled attitude toward our circumstances.”

• Language: English
• Publisher: Patmos Records
• Release date: Jul 15, 2021
• ISBN: 9786156108357

Book preview

1400_Hope.jpg

Sándor Németh

Hope

 Hope

© Sándor Németh 2003

All rights reserved

 The author thanks

Judit Németh S.

Csaba Surjányi

Júlia Petrőcz

Csaba Dévényi

Olga Márkus

Krisztina Somorjai

Shelly Matos

...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 5:3-5 /

 The translation was based on the New International Version

Preface

One of the very important messages of the Bible is hope. Actually, this spiritual reality that keeps people’s lives on the right path is found in the pages of the Bible more often than we think. This spiritual reality is what leads us to a positive inner strength and a proper faith-filled attitude toward our circumstances.

We can honestly say that the Bible is truly the Book of Hope. From the first chapter to the pictures of the last monumental scenes, everything and really everything suggests to people who are wandering on this Earth looking for their path or maybe occasionally losing purpose: Trust and hope! I am here to help you, to deliver you, to give your life a meaningful purpose and a desirable destiny.

Interestingly enough, sometimes even Christians forget what a vitally important sustaining power hope has, even if we are saved and are certain that our final destination is in heaven at the throne of God. There are many church-going Christians who, despite their assurance of salvation, have surprisingly either not learned to live out their faith by continuously trusting God, or somewhere on the way, maybe during the trials and tribulations, they have forgotten about the fact that they are called to a living hope.

Based on experience, it is useful and necessary to study the Word of God about this topic so we can gain or renew the heavenly vision about hope which is an extremely important, essential driving force in our earthly lives.

Chapter one

In the Storm

The topic of hope is best illustrated by Paul’s shipwreck.

When a gentle south wind began to blow, they saw their opportunity; so they weighed anchor and sailed along the shore of Crete. Before very long, a wind of hurricane force, called the Northeaster, swept down from the island. The ship was caught by the storm and could not head into the wind; so we gave way to it and were driven along. As we passed to the lee of a small island called Cauda, we were hardly able to make the lifeboat secure, so the men hoisted it aboard. Then they passed ropes under the ship itself to hold it together. Because they were afraid they would run aground on the sandbars of Syrtis, they lowered the sea anchor and let the ship be driven along. We took such a violent battering from the storm that the next day they began to throw the cargo overboard. On the third day, they threw the ship’s tackle overboard with their own hands. When neither sun nor stars appeared for many days and the storm continued raging, we finally gave up all hope of being saved. After they had gone a long time without food, Paul stood up before them and said: "Men, you should have taken my advice not to sail from Crete; then you would have spared yourselves this damage and loss. But now I urge you to keep up your courage, because not one of you will be lost; only the ship will be destroyed. Last night an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I serve stood beside me and said, ‘Do not be afraid, Paul. You must stand trial before Caesar; and God has graciously given you the lives of all who sail with you.’ So keep up your courage, men, for I have faith in God that it will happen just as he told me. /Acts 27:13-25 /

Before we start talking about hope itself, I’d like to point out that natural elements in the Bible usually have their symbolic meanings as well.

Some Biblical Symbols

Let’s take the ship first. The ship often has a symbolic meaning. It’s enough to refer to the fact that on the walls of catacombs, ships often symbolized the life path of the believer and his dependence on God. That’s why the life of the people buried there were depicted by ships as they were moving forward toward the harbor of eternity. As they finally reached their destiny, the journey was successful. Although, if we think of James, the ship doesn’t just symbolize the life of a believer but the life and destiny of all people. /James Chapter 3/.

The wind also has several meanings in the Bible: it often symbolizes the supernatural world. For example, in the Gospel of John, Jesus says the wind blows wherever it wants to. /John 3:8/.

Then it makes it clear that he speaks about the Holy Spirit. In Hebrew the word ’ruach’ means wind, spirit, and breath as well. The southern wind usually means a good spirit, a positive, invisible spiritual force which helps and supports people. This is nothing else but grace, the destiny-altering power that conveys the presence of God and leads people’s lives in the right direction. The northern, north-eastern wind which is just the opposite means destruction, devastation and judgment. It symbolizes a spiritual realm opposing the Kingdom of God.

This story has another important element as well: the sea. In the Book of Revelation, the Apostle John points out that the sea symbolizes peoples,