Faith and Hope, we hear a lot about them, and in my mind, they are both similar, but what are the differences. I think both of them are closely related in that they deal with our relationship with God.
I was reading an article by John Piper in which talking about Hope he said “Hope, as it is used in the Bible for the distinctive experience of Christian hope, is always a confidence concerning the future. It’s a confidence, not a finger-crossing wish. So that separates the Christian hope from most other uses of hope in the English language. Romans 5:5 says, “Hope does not put us to shame.” It is rock-solid, sure. You can be confident. That’s Christian hope, and it’s always future-oriented. A key text would be Romans 8:24–25: “In this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.” When we say that hope does not see what it hopes for, the reason it doesn’t see it is because it hasn’t happened yet. It’s future. “We wait for it with patience.” So that’s the distinctive mark of hope: it is always future-oriented and consists in a firm confidence of what we are hoping for — not just a wish.”
Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. Hebrews 11:1 NKJV
For Faith, it begins with the gift of faith from God, that is there is nothing we can do for God to intimate the relationship between Himself and you or I by showing himself to them and persuading us to come to Him, just as Jesus called the disciples to follow Him. That is when God expects us to respond to Him in faith, (Hebrews 11:6, NLT) “And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him”
Trust is the vehicle that moves Hope and Faith, the perfect scripture for this is:
Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding Provers 3:5 NKJV
It is when we let go and truly trust that what God has said that He will do will be done.
So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, But it shall accomplish what I please, And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it. Isaiah 55:11 NKJV
Our goal needs to be to strive to get to the point where we trust in God with all of our heart. Don’t try and reason it out, I’ve found that there are times when I’ve wondered after I’ve prayed and asked God for something, this is when I have to stop myself and say to God, but not my will but your will Lord. That is the trust that we need to have that if we ask God according to His will then we can trust that the Lord will provide the answer to that prayer. It might not go the way we expected it to, but we can Hope and have Faith that God will perform His will in the matter.
Below are several scriptures for Faith, Hope and Trust:
Faith:
Hebrews 11:1 NKJV
Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
2 Corinthians 5:7 NKJV
For we walk by faith, not by sight.
Hebrews 11:7 NKJV
By faith Noah, being divinely warned of things not yet seen, moved with godly fear, prepared an ark for the saving of his household, by which he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness which is according to faith.
Hope:
Hebrews 11:1
Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.
Romans 12:12 NKJV
rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer;
1 Peter 1:8 NKJV
whom having not seen you love. Though now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory,
Trust:
Proverbs 3:5 NKJV
Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding;
Psalm 37:5 NKJV
Commit your way to the Lord, Trust also in Him, And He shall bring it to pass.
Jeremiah 17:7-8 NKJV
“Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, And whose hope is the Lord. For he shall be like a tree planted by the waters, Which spreads out its roots by the river And will not fear when heat comes; But its leaf will be green, And will not be anxious in the year of drought, Nor will cease from yielding fruit.
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