Get Your Hopes Up!: Expect Something Good to Happen to You Every Day

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Without faith, it is impossible to please God, and those who come to Him must believe that He is a Rewarder of those who diligently seek Him (see Hebrews 11:6). Faith is the title deed of the things we
hope
for (see Hebrews 11:1). We are promised in God’s Word that faith the size of a mustard seed can move a mountain (see Matthew 17:20). Abraham
hoped
in faith that he would receive the promise of God (see Romans 4:18). Some people try to have faith, but they have no hope. They don’t have a positive expectation that something good is going to happen to them because of God’s great goodness. I believe hope precedes and is connected with faith. We cannot have one without the other. How could a negative, hopeless person be walking and living by faith? The person may believe in God, but a man or woman of faith does more than trust that God is alive; they also believe that He is good, and that He rewards those who seek Him. They wait for and expect the goodness of God, not because they deserve it, but because God promises to give it.

I’ve spent the last 38 years of my life traveling the world, preaching and teaching the Word of God. Over that time, I’ve met so many incredible people—people just like you. Business owners, housewives, working moms, artists, ministers, entrepreneurs, politicians, volunteers, single moms, single dads. I’ve had the privilege of meeting men and women from nearly every walk of life.

Some are doing great, seemingly on top of the world. Others have confided to me that they’re barely getting by, living day to day, trying to make ends meet. And many others are dealing with
circumstances so difficult that, quite frankly, they feel defeated and overwhelmed by life.

But no matter the person, and no matter the situation, I’ve discovered there is one thing they all desperately need—one thing we
all
desperately need: hope.

Hope is the happy and confident anticipation of good. It’s a powerful and universal inspiration, a rising tide that lifts all boats. Whether we are limping into port, stuck at the dock, or sailing boldly out to sea, hope buoys our spirits, daring us to believe
You know what? Things might just work out after all
. It’s the sometimes unexplainable, but always undeniable, feeling that today would be a bad day to give up. Hope is a belief that something good is about to happen at any moment!

This is why I believe a book on hope is necessary and that it will help you see hope’s amazing possibilities. In fact, the Bible tells us it is one of the three things that remain when all else fails (see 1 Corinthians 13:13). Regardless of who you are or what condition your life is in right now, you can’t function successfully in life without hope. If circumstances are bad, you surely need hope, and if they are good, you need hope that they will stay that way. When you live in the garden of hope, something is always blooming!

But as great as hope is, it can easily be misplaced. If your hope clings to a person, it’s an unreliable source of strength. If your hope is in your place of employment, your ability to make money, or your retirement fund, it may disappoint you. If your hope rests in your own ability, it will fade when your confidence is shaken.

It’s pretty simple, really: Hope is only as strong as its source. That’s why the foundation of our hope must be God and the promises found in His Word. If God is not the source, hope is just a wishful thought, a momentary respite. As a matter of fact, the hope I am urging you to have is very different from what the world might call hope. The believer’s hope is in the unshakable,
all-powerful, all-knowing, and ever-present one true God and His Son, Jesus Christ.

You could say it this way: Without hope in God, there isn’t much you can do, but
with
hope in God, there isn’t much you
can’t
do.

Dedicated reading and study of the Word shows us what happens when God’s children dared to live with hope. Throughout the Old and New Testament, we see regular people—people with flaws and failures just like us—overcome impossible odds because they chose to hope that God had something incredible on the horizon… they put their faith in Him.

Do you see the wide-ranging, barrier-shattering nature of hope? In each of these biblical examples, hope was more than a motivational thought or a fading daydream; hope was a
nothing-is-impossible-with-God
firestorm refusing to be quenched.

I believe hope can do those same things in your life. That’s why I’m excited you’re reading this book. And that’s why I’m excited to use the stories, biblical principles, and practical life lessons you’ll find on each page to encourage you to go ahead and
get your hopes up!
Do it on purpose… grab hold passionately and refuse to live without hope!

You see, your whole life, whether you realize it or not, the world has been telling you
Don’t get your hopes up
. Past hurts, present disappointments, and future uncertainties all teach you to temper your expectations—
Be rational, stay calm, don’t expect too much because you may get disappointed.

The pregnancy test comes back positive…
don’t get your hopes up; you remember what happened last time
. The person who hurt you apologizes and wants to make things right…
don’t get your hopes up; he might hurt you again
. An exciting opportunity opens up at work…
don’t get your hopes up; it probably won’t pan out
.

But a life with no hope isn’t much of a life at all. You may say you’re just being careful—
Better safe than sorry, Joyce
—but you’re really just afraid. Afraid of getting hurt, afraid of being disappointed, afraid of taking a chance. The fear may exist for good reason. Perhaps you have been severely hurt in life and experienced many discouraging and disappointing things. Experience tells you that nothing is ever going to change, but God’s Word tells us something better. It says that all things are possible with God!

It is time for a change in your life! Trust God enough to hope for the best: the best relationship, the best opportunity, the best marriage, the best news, the best outcome, the best life. Expect something good to happen to you today!

God wants you to have the best life possible. If you ever doubt that’s true, just remember that He gave His best when He sent Jesus. Jesus died so that, if you accept His gift of salvation, you could enjoy eternity in Heaven; but He also died so you could enjoy a good life here on Earth.

In John 10:10, Jesus said, “I came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance (to the full, till it overflows).”

As you go through this book, I hope you’ll see that God wants you to “have and enjoy life.” He wants the best for you spiritually, mentally, emotionally, relationally, and physically—every year, every day, every moment. And when you know that God wants the best for you, you can’t help but be filled with hope. God wants to meet all your needs and enable you to help other people.

When you dare to get your hopes up, things will begin to change in your life. Faith increases, joy returns, and peace reigns. So if you’re satisfied to settle for
barely getting by, this is as good as it gets
, or
better luck next time
, you should probably put this book down now.

But if you’re ready for a change—if you’re ready for something better—keep reading. Hope has a way of beautifully transforming the lives of all who embrace it. It’s the catalyst that sparks ideas
and imagination (see Proverbs 24:14), the anchor that steadies us when the storms of life rage (see Hebrews 6:19), the confidence that dares us to build a better life (see Proverbs 23:18), and the comfort of knowing we’re never alone (see Romans 5:5).

If that sounds good to you, be brave enough to do something you may not have done in a long time: Get your hopes up. You’re going to be glad you did, because God is waiting to be gracious to you.

Quite often people feel that it would be greedy or wrong to hope for more than they have. While it is true that we should always be content and satisfied with what we have, that certainly doesn’t mean that desiring more of the right things is wrong as long as we desire them for the right reasons. How can we be content and yet want more at the same time? I am very content right now with everything in my life because I believe God’s timing in my life is perfect. I could be quite happy and never have more of anything because my joy and contentment are in Christ. Yet, at the same time, I want more of everything because I want to go as far in life as God allows and do as much for Him and others as humanly possible. I want no more and no less than the best life God wants to give me!

I want more of God in my life, a closer, more intimate walk with Him (see Philippians 3:10). I want more wisdom, more stability, and more good friends. I want more for my children, and I want more people to accept Christ as their Savior. I want to see more miracles, healing, breakthroughs, and power.

I sincerely believe that we can be satisfied to the point where we
are not disturbed or disquieted with what we have, while at the same time desiring more for the right reasons and at the right time (see Philippians 4:11, 19).

I actually believe those who are content with anything less than all God can do for them are hindering God’s greatness. He wants to show Himself strong in each of our lives. He is able to do exceedingly, abundantly, above and beyond all that we could ever dare to ask or think, infinitely beyond our highest prayers, desires, thoughts, hopes, or dreams (see Ephesians 3:20).