Romans 8:22-30
Hope Through the Holy Spirit
22 We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. 23 Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption to sonship, the redemption of our bodies. 24 For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what they already have? 25 But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.
26 In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. 27 And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God.
28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. 29 For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. 30 And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.
1 John 4:10-16
God is Love
10 This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. 11 Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 12 No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.
13 This is how we know that we live in him and he in us: He has given us of his Spirit. 14 And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. 15 If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in them and they in God. 16 And so we know and rely on the love God has for us.
God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them.
Hebrews 6:19
Hope is the Anchor to Our Soul
19 We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure.
John 16:12-15
The Work of the Holy Spirit
12 "I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear. 13 But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come.14 He will bring glory to me by taking from what is mine and making it known to you. 15 All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will take from what is mine and make it known to you.
John 20:26-29
Blessed Are Those Who Have Not Seen and Yet Believe
26 A week later his disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you!" 27 Then he said to Thomas, "Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe."
28 Thomas said to him, "My Lord and my God!"
29 Then Jesus told him, "Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed."
Hope is related to LOVE...
And hope is not something we have...St. Paul writes that hope is something we don't have...Hope that can be seen and held is no hope at all...Those things we already have and can already see are no hope at all...Why would we hope for something we already have?...So when we do hope for things, we hope for those things we do not have and for those tings that we cannot see, and are missing or lacking or needing...And when we hope we must exercise and use patience...Pray and hope -and then we wait for those things we hope for patiently...We learn from St. Paul that our hope and dreams are for those things we do not have and cannot see, yet we want those things (that are in our hopes)...
Have you ever thought about where your hopes come from and your hopes continue to search for those things you cannot see or do not have?...And when we look at our hopes from the Love of the Holy Spirit perspective, life is different for us...We can hope for more and more material things, but when we get them we find them only fleeting...The Holy Spirit is leading us toward Love and the Light and the Truth -toward God...This is because the Holy Spirit wants our souls to be full of Love and Truth -and these are two of the main attributes of God...Our Holy Spirit will keep our soul's yearning up until we find and are connected to this Absolute Truth and this Absolute Love...The Holy Spirit is always nudging, always guiding us to Him...
St. Paul goes on to teach us that the Holy Spirit helps us when we are weak...When we do not know what to do or what we need to do, the Holy Spirit will guide us guide us to the Truth through Love...The two paths the Holy Spirit likes to take are the narrow paths of Love and Truth...
The Holy Spirit took things from Jesus and made those things known to His disciples -especially after His resurrection...The Twelve Disciples and we learn more about Love and Truth through the Holy Spirit...God showed His Love by sending us His Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins...God Loves us and wants us to love one another...God is Love...We know that when we live in Jesus and Jesus in us we have this feeling of love about us...When we acknowledge that Jesus is in our hearts, God lives in us...We rely on the Love of God and understand through the love we have for others -we better connect to our Father in Heaven...The hope and faith in God, His Son, and the Holy Spirit anchors our soul and our lives...
The Love from the Holy Spirit in us, is what guides us toward goodness, the Light and Love...Somehow, with the Holy Spirit guiding us, we feel an urge to help someone, stranded on the road...We feel the urge to help those after a bad storm, tornado, or hurricane...We feel the need and want to help a poor child...Where are these loving thoughts coming from?...These are not random thoughts and feelings, but thoughts and feelings guided by this Truth and this Hope that we cannot see...Through this Hope there is this Love that awaits us...It is something we cannot really see -but we feel this mystique-type feeling in us...This hope comes from the Holy Spirit...And even though we cannot see hope or Jesus today, we are blessed when we believe in Him...Jesus tells Thomas, but also is telling us these important things about hopes and dreams that we do not currently see or currently have...Jesus reminds Thomas and us, because you have gotten to see Me, you have believed and seen Hope...Blessed are those who have not seen Me and yet have believed in Me and have kept the faith...