It's not always called hope. Some modern synonyms of hope would be dream, wish or believe. And this is true to an extent. Here are the closest definitions to "contemporary hope":
"Desire; sometimes, eager desire."
"A vain fancy; a wild conceit..."
"An emotion or excitement of the mind, directed to the attainment or possession of an object from which pleasure, sensual, intellectual or spiritual, is expected; a passion excited by the love of an object, or uneasiness at the want of it, and directed to its attainment or possession."
And these are the Webster's 1828 dictionary definitions, not for hope, but for "wish", "dream" and "desire", consecutively. So what is hope, exactly? Glad you asked! Again to quote Webster's 1828:
1. A desire of some good, accompanied with at least a slight expectation of obtaining it, or a belief that it is obtainable. Hope differs from wish and desire in this, that it implies some expectation of obtaining the good desired, or the possibility of possessing it. Hope therefore always gives pleasure or joy; whereas wish and desire may produce or be accompanied with pain and anxiety.
2. Confidence in a future event; the highest degree of well founded expectation of good; as a hope founded on God's gracious promises; a scriptural sense.
These two definitions clearly lay out hope as being far stronger than any mere wish, flippant dream or lustful desire. These are based on facts and God's promises, not just our own wildly variable emotions.
4. "An opinion or belief not amounting to certainty, but grounded on substantial evidence. "
His hope is a strong, beautiful thing, and almost it is a non-existent thing. By which I mean it cannot be proven. It has no evidence of existance, no tangible reality, and yet cannot be denied of its authenticity, its very presence. We have all hoped. Even if we now are hopeless, at one point hope was real to us. And if I just completely confused you, it's okay. I don't think I fully get it myself. Think of it this way: Hope is a bridge of thought and conviction connecting desire to reality. It is a real thing, but is never alone; a bridge cannot exist without two ends with which to attach.
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| courtesy of Google Images |
The end on which you begin is labeled "Wish/Dream" which is connected to the other end, "Reality".
The bridge itself is "Hope" crossing the great chasm of "Unbelief/Doubt" and the actual steps used to cross this bridge are "Faith". There are protective railings to keep us on the right path. They are entitled "God's Will".
We cross millions of these bridges in life. When we are very young our parents and mentors take us gently by the hand and guide us across. As we age we are encouraged to try them with someone leading, then on our own. Sometimes, people will follow us across and sometimes it is for us to follow. And even a few bridges will be us resisting and being pushed across by a loving authority.
But always there will be bridges. Hope will always be there. If we dive over the edge, it is our own fault, so blame no one else. However, our loving Father will never condemn us for jumping. He lets us fall, it is true, but only so we learn that to jump will hurt us. And then when we hit bottom and cry for help, He is there. With a broken heart, He lifts us out of the void, mends our wounds, and gently leads us up the slope and back onto the path.
I've gotten a bit off-topic (again) but it needed to be said.
We find hope all throughout Scripture. This verse continues my strange theme above, about hope "not existing": once you have what you hope for, how can your hope now exist?
For we are saved by hope:
but hope that is seen is not hope:
for what a man seeth,
why doth he yet hope for?
-Romans 8:24
Here we see hope connected to Love.
And hope maketh not ashamed;
because the love of God is shed abroad
in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.
-Romans 5:5
Also to Strength and Courage:
Be of good courage,
and he shall strengthen your heart,
all ye that hope in the Lord.
-Psalm 31:24
And now, Lord,
what wait I for?
my hope is in thee.
-Psalm 39:7
And to Mercy:
Let thy mercy, O Lord, be upon us,
according as we hope in thee.
-Psalm 33:22
As well as to Trust:
Blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord,
and whose hope the Lord is.
-Jeremiah 17:17
Hope brings peace and comfort in grief. In these verses, hope is connected with mercy, compassion, help in trouble, faithfulness God's goodness and patience. (The "salvation" spoken of in vs.26, is not of the soul, but of being physically removed from troubles.)
This I recall to my mind, therefore have I hope.
It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed,
because his compassions fail not.
They are new every morning:
great is thy faithfulness.
The Lord is my portion, saith my soul;
therefore will I hope in him.
The Lord is good unto them that wait for him,
to the soul that seeketh him.
It is good that a man should both hope
and quietly wait for the salvation of the Lord.
-Lamentations 3:21-26
And lastly, remember that our hope should be placed only in the Lord. Nothing and no-one can satisfy as He can, fully and forever.
For in thee,
O Lord,
do I hope:
thou wilt hear,
O Lord my God.
-Psalm 38:15
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