“I hope we get an Atari!” I remember my brother and I discussing our Christmas list shortly before the big day. It seemed like every kid in school had this game console…except us! I’ve said a lot of “I hopes” since then. I hope I make the team. I hope I make first chair. I hope I get into that college. I hope I get to travel.

That kind of hope is connected to our dreams of what else this life can hold for us. We hope for a spouse who loves Jesus and treats us like gold. We hope for children, for a career that we love and one that supports us. We hope we can get everything accomplished that we want to do! And these hopes are good to hold onto. They spur us on.

But there is a hope that never disappoints. God gives us this hope to hold onto when all the things of this earth seem out of our control and out of our reach. And this gift gives us even more. Romans 5:5a (ESV) tells us, “Hope given by Him works together to give us confidence, joy, peace, power and love. That is a true gift!” All of those things come, not from what we do or even who we are. Those are blessings from our Father who pours them out in abundance as we receive His gift of Hope.