GETTING HOPE THROUGH SCRIPTURE

            "For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope" (Romans 15:4). As the Apostle Paul was writing this particular verse, he refers to all the Scripture that had already been written "aforetime". That would include the Old Testament and portions of the New Testament that had been written as well. He adds they had been written for "our learning", so we are instructed to "Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth" (2 Timothy 2:15). We are not to only learn the Scriptures so that our minds can be a repository of divine truth, but that we may be a conduit whereby what we have learned can be shared with others. What we learn from Scripture certainly should benefit others, but this verse teaches how they help in giving us patience and comfort that we might have hope. The knowledge we receive from Scripture gives us hope in what is revealed about the future, but they also make a change in us spiritually in helping us to be patient and filling us with comfort.     

This Biblical hope is not what the world usually considers hope to be. It is not wishful thinking! Many spend money on the lottery foolishly 'hoping' they will win. The hope we receive from the Scriptures is both an expectation and anticipation. We fully expect it to happen and we are excited about the prospect of its happening. An example is the promise of the second coming of Jesus Christ which is called the 'blessed hope' in Titus 2:13.

Being patient is very important in helping us to have comfort. Most of us would readily admit that we need more patience. Each of us may even want to pray, "Lord, give me more patience and HURRY UP!" A lack of patience causes many lives to be filled with anxiety and worry. We need to follow the advice of the Psalmist who wrote, "Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for him" (37:7). Everything God has promised in Scripture will be fulfilled in His own time and His own way! We can find comfort in His Word and be filled with hope as we learn more and more from Scripture about His future plans for us while patiently waiting for them to come to pass.  

            You may wonder how important it is to the Lord for His Scripture to fill you with hope. Later on in the chapter containing the verse we are studying, He is even called the "God of hope" in verse 13: "Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost." The Lord wants to fill His people with "all joy and peace", but all do not enjoy those blessings. Why? The verse explains they only come to those who believe! The Holy Spirit inspired the men who wrote the Scriptures. The same Spirit is available to those who 'learn' and 'believe' what He had those inspired men to write to cause them to "abound in hope".

            From Romans 15:4, we learn that if we learn the Scriptures we can receive patience and comfort from them that will give us hope. From verse 13, when we believe the Scriptures, the Holy Spirit will fill us with joy and peace that causes us to abound in hope. The lesson should be clear that the amount of hope we have is dependent on what we learn from Scripture and how much confidence we have in its veracity. The Holy Spirit who gave the Word will give you the patience to wait as He comforts you with His presence and fills you with joy and peace!

            You will get hope from the Scriptures when you place your hope in the Scriptures. To hope in the Scriptures is to hope in the One who gave the Scriptures. Like the Psalmist, you can find hope in God! "Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted in me? hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him for the help of his countenance" (Psalm 42:5).