Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.Faith is the substance of things, but hope is a necessity. Sometimes people say, "You don't get anything by hoping." And that's true to a certain extent, for there is no substance to hope.
(Heb. 11:1)
But hope is a very important partner to faith. Hope is the goal-setter. Faith is the substance of things hoped for. The substance of "things"—what things? The things you hoped for. What do we hope for? We hope for the things that God has given us.
That's why the Bible says in Hebrews 11:6, "But without faith it is impossible to please him." God is not pleased when we don't enter into the provisions that He made for us. Some things we will never enter into except through faith.
God's willingness is multiplied to us through the knowledge of God. We must know what God has given, or we can't have faith in that promise.
Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord, According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness.Hope is Necessary
(2 Peter 1:2-3)
Hope is a partner to faith. You are reading this article because you hope to receive some insight into hope and faith. But hope alone will not give you that insight. Yet, if it wasn't for hope, you wouldn't be reading this.
Look at what Abraham did when there was no hope.
(As it is written, I have made thee a father of many nations,) before him whom he believed, even God, who quickeneth the dead, and calleth those things which be not as though they were.When there was no hope, Abraham believed in hope. There are people today who have no hope medically. Doctors have done all they can do.
Who against hope believed in hope, that he might become the father of many nations; according to that which was spoken, So shall thy seed be.
(Rom. 4:17-18)
When the doctor says there is no hope, do what Abraham did: go to the Word of God and get supernatural hope. He decided to agree with God.
That's what we are doing when we make a decision to confess the Word of God. We are coming over to God's point of view by saying what God declared about us.
Some might say, "There is no hope, so you might as well give up." You can always go to the Word of God and get some hope. I don't care if it's physical, financial, or spiritual.
When your situation seems to be hopeless, go to the Word of God. God's Word is hope for you.
When there was no hope, Abraham decided to believe in hope. He made a decision to believe God's Word. That is where his hope came from—the Word of God.
Don't try to use faith where hope should be, and don't try to use hope where faith should be. Hope has no substance. Faith is the substance of the thing hoped for.
So there must be faith and hope. They are partners. They go together. Faith is the divine energy of God. It comes by hearing God's Word. It is the substance of things desired.
Excerpt permission granted by Harrison House Publishers