20 July 2009

Hope

I've been looking at the concept of 'hope' today, and am reliably informed that there are two separate words used for hope in scripture:

The Greek word is elpis, which means:
- What is possible
- What we can imagine in the future
- What is wished for
- Expectation in the light of an uncertain future
- The opposite of fear of evil
- Characterised by uncertainty dependant on luck, fate or impersonal destiny

the Hebrew word is tikvah, which means:
- What is promised
- What God reveals of the future
- What God makes a reality
- Confidence in the light of the promises of God
- The firm expectation of good
- Firm relationship of trust in a loving God who determines the future according to what he has promised

(thanks to Richard Harvey's recent feature on WordLive for this information)

What sort of hope do you hold on to?

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