One of the most powerful words in the Bible is HOPE .
“ For now we see in a mirror dimly , but then face to face . Now I know in part , but then I will know fully , even as I have been fully known . But now these three remain — faith , hope , and love . And the greatest of these is love .” - 1 Corinthians 13:12-13 TLV
Rav Sha ’ ul ( Paul ) makes a distinction between faith and hope .
“ Now faith is the substance of things hoped for , the evidence of realities not seen …” - Hebrews 11:1-3 TLV
Faith is evidence that leads to belief and action . But hope is a feeling of expectation and desire for something to happen . It anticipates a future that is better than the present . Developing a consistent sense of hopefulness is essential for healthy emotional wellbeing .
Within the Hebrew Scriptures , there are two primary words that are translated as hope — yakhal and kavah . Both words could also be translated as “ to wait for ” or simply “ to wait .” So after the flood , Noah “ waited ” for the waters to recede . He had hope that the waters would dissipate and that he and his family would be able to leave the ark . But , this hope involved waiting .
In Psalms 119:114 , David proclaims , “ You are my hiding place and my shield — in Your word I hope .” Whether David was under assault or running for his life , he regularly had to wait expectantly for God ’ s word of promise to be fulfilled .
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The word kavah is related to the Hebrew word “ kav .” which literally can be a “ line ” or a rope . The rope becomes taut when it is pulled from both ends , creating a line . The tension or “ kavah ” is the expectation of the tension to be resolved .