That may seem a strange question, but asking it brought me to spiritual insight that increases my hope even more. The Bible says a lot about hope, but I never fully took it in before. God makes some solid promises about hope. Hope does not disappoint (Rom. 5:5), and it remains forever (1 Cor.13:13).

Yet, Paul pointed out something that may make those promises seem untrue. Romans8:24 says, “For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen isno hope at all.” Who hopes for what he already has? This astute questionled me to ponder the reality of hope.

Hope does not go away after you get what you hope for. Hope is perpetual in God’seconomy. Heaven will not be the end of our hope, just as Jesus’ death,burial and resurrection did not end His hope. Since He conquered sin and deathfor us, He hopes to bring us home to heaven. Once we get to heaven, the universecannot limit what He will hope for. We can know that it is more than we can deviseor think (Is. 55:9).

You know what it is like to get what you hoped for and find it may not be exactlyas you had hoped. You finally get married, and you discover that married lifeis harder than you ever thought. You land your dream job, yet the reality becomesa nightmare. You long to have a child, and your bundle of joy breaks your heart.Hope fulfilled encourages more hope as you don’t give up on your marriageand press through the hard times. You discover the pitfalls of your job, andyou make headway in overcoming them. You never give up on that child who is notreceiving all the love you have to give. When that child returns home, humbleand appreciative of all your prayers, it makes it worth the pain. It was hopethat kept you going. Your hope for something better, something greater, somethingmore fulfilling kept your hope alive. It seems that you will be hoping for eternity.

I believe that God has designed hope into eternity. Today I hope for the daywhen sin will be defeated in my life; and I will fully love God, fully receiveHis love, and fully love others. That probably won’t happen until heaven;but since God says it is possible as I live in His kingdom on earth, I will continuehoping to become more full of His power to overcome my sin now. Once I finallyget what I hoped for—in heaven—I believe there will be more mountainsto climb. I have no idea what they are or what I won’t have yet hoped for,but I know that it will be revealed and bring on more hope.

Perpetual hope is a beautiful thing. In fact, it might be what makes eternallife so satisfying. What are you hoping for? How does it bring life to you now?Hope keeps us all alive. We’ve got to have hope.