Francis Bacon once said, “Hope is a good breakfast, but a bad supper.” 

When you think of Hope as a confident expectation of God’s provision of the future good, that doesn’t mean we are simply to start the day with hope, do nothing, and end the day with hope.  Ultimately, Hope is a virtue only if motivates us to action.

Noah hoped to be rescued from the flood, but he still had to build the ark; Moses had hope for the promised land, but he still had to lead his people there; Joshua had hope that the walls of Jericho would crumble, but he still had to march the troops around the city; the Pilgrims had hope for a country in which they could worship freely, but they still had to make the dangerous journey on the Mayflower; Washington had hope for liberty and independence, but he still had to fight the powerful armies of King George; and Churchill had hope of defeating Hitler, but he still had to rally Britain to the cause.

Isaiah 40:31 says:

they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength;
    they shall mount up with wings like eagles;
they shall run and not be weary;
    they shall walk and not faint

The first part of the verse is alternately translated “they who hope in the Lord….”  It is tempting to read that and to think, “Okay, great.  Hope is just passively waiting for God to take care of things.”  But the Hebrew word translated as “wait” or “hope” actually means “to bind,” as in to bind oneself to the Lord.  That means actively, relentlessly, obediently pursuing the future good that God wills.  After all, if hoping just means kicking back in a recliner while God does all the work, then why would we need Him to renew our strength?

If you have genuine Hope, then it’s time to get to work.