"There are three things that will endure – faith, hope, and love – and the greatest of these is love." 1 Corinthians 12:12-31, 1 Corinthians 13

The Bible teaches about the importance of hope. In his letter to the Christians in Corinth, the apostle Paul discusses the various spiritual gifts that God gives believers. Some have the ability to teach, others can preach. Some speak in tongues, others interpret the speech, and some are able to do both. When Christ returns to establish his kingdom, however, all of these spiritual gifts will vanish. Remarkably, only three things will remain: faith, hope, and love. Hope and faith are second only to love in the qualities that God will value in his kingdom.

Non-believers as well as believers can find inspiration in the Bible to strengthen their hope. According to BibleGateway.com, the Bible contains many references to the word "hope." http://www.biblegateway.com/keyword/?search=hope&searchtype=all&version1=31&spanbegin=1&spanend=73 In the New Living Translation Bible, there are 189 occurrences. Other versions of the Bible speak of hope with frequency. The King James Version contains 133 references to hope. There are 174 references to hope in the New International Version. Quotations in the text on this page are from the New Living Translation.

"Such things were written in the scriptures long ago to teach us. And the scriptures give us hope and encouragement as we wait patiently for God's promises to be fulfilled." Romans 15:4 (NLT)http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Romans+15&version=NLT

Hope consists of two elements: the desire for something and the expectation that what you desire will come to pass. In his letter to the Christians in Rome, Paul spoke of both aspects of hope. For those who accept Jesus as God's son, God has promised eternal salvation, the return of Christ, and the establishment of an earthly kingdom in which there will be no pain or sorrow. Christians have the desire for God to filfill his promises. The expectation is expressed by the reference to "waiting" for God's promises to be fulfilled. It is not a matter of whether the promises will be fulfilled, but rather a matter of when. In the same passage, Paul advised the Romans to look to the Bible for hope and encouragement.

The thought of my suffering and homelessness is bitter beyond words. I will never forget this awful time, as I grieve over my loss. Yet I still dare to hope when I remember this:

The faithful love of the Lord never ends! His mercies never cease. Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning. I say to myself, “The Lord is my inheritance; therefore, I will hope in him!”

Lamentations 3:19-24

After the destruction of the Temple and the fall of Jerusalem, the Jewish people became slaves in exile and lived miserable lives. http://www.biblewiki.be/wiki/LAMENTATIONS_%28Jewish_Encyclopedia%29 The prophet Jeremiah anguished over all the suffering and hardships they had encountered because, he believed, of their sins. http://bible.org/article/introduction-book-lamentations Yet through all this, Jeremiah "dared to hope" for God's mercy and deliverance in the future. http://www.aish.com/h/9av/oal/48961756.html In this poem, which resembles a psalm, Jeremiah vividly describes the depth of his suffering and the strength of his faith.

This scripture conveys a simple but profound message. No matter what we are going through, we still have reason to hope for something better tomorrow. Like Jeremiah, we may "dare to hope" by remembering God's faithfulness. Incredibly, God's mercies begin anew every day. We cannot use up all God's compassion because he has an unlimited supply. http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&safe=active&rlz=1I7DLUS_en&q=lamentations+lessons&aq=f&aqi=&oq= Knowing this, we can have hope for a better future even while suffering through difficult times.

""[T]hose who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.""

Isaiah 40:31

The mental and physical drain of being in adverse circumstances may leave us without the strength to face them. http://www.eco-justice.org/hope.asp Overwhelmed with responsibilities and uncertainties, we can feel like giving up. http://www.partnersinhope.ca/files/resources/recovery_topics/relapse_prevention/strength.pdf We can find the strength we need by putting our hope in God. http://bible.org/article/comfort-god%E2%80%99s-people-isaiah-40 God will renew our strength so we can soar on wings like eagles, run and not grow weary, and walk and not be faint. Meditate on the powerful images in Isaiah 40:31. Imagine yourself effortlessly soaring above your problems, getting a clearer picture of your situation. Feel the power of your wings, experience the clarity of your vision. Runners will relate to the idea of running without growing weary. Marathoners report that, when they reach the point of mental and physical exhaustion, they experience a "second wind" which allows them to overcome their fatigue and continue the race. http://www.drmirkin.com/archive/7037.html The word "weary" evokes more than mere tiredness or physical exhaustion. http://www.definitions.net/definition/weary Weary may perfectly capture the way you feel -- completely depleted both mentally and physically.

How do we hope in the Lord? Experts say to read the Bible, pray to God, and believe that God will keep his promise of strength through hope. http://www.faithandhealthconnection.org/weekly-health-scripture-isaiah-4029-god-gives-strength/ So, even if you are feeling hopeless, pick up a Bible and read some scriptures on the benefits of hoping in God. Read them aloud, if circumstances permit. Just opening a Bible means that you have some hope, however miniscule. Then pray about those scriptures. Then believe that you are gaining the strength described in Isaiah 40:31.