Possessed of a Hope

One verse of the old hymn “Since Jesus Came into My Heart” says:

I’m possessed of a hope that is steadfast and sure,
Since Jesus came into my heart;
And no dark clouds of doubt now my pathway obscure,
Since Jesus came into my heart.

Have you ever wondered about the phrase “possessed of a hope”? Shouldn’t it be the other way around? Surely, it should be you who possesses hope, not hope possessing you. But it all makes sense when you realize the biblical meaning of hope. In its modern English usage, the word “hope” means wishful thinking concerning something we would like to happen, without any foundation for believing it. However, biblical hope is a confident expectation based on solid certainty, because it rests on the promises of God.
In Romans 15:13 Paul prays, “Now may the God of hope fill you will all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” God is the “God of hope,” and what He inspires is not just wishful thinking or an optimistic outlook. His nature is hope and He is the giver of hope. He gives us a confident expectation that actually possesses us. That hope is so certain that the Bible often talks about future events in the past tense. There is no doubt that they will happen. Verse 12 quotes from Isaiah about our hope being in Jesus, so all of our hope looks to Him. Therefore, we can abound in hope right now, and we can be filled with joy and peace right now. We don’t have to wait for some future utopia over the rainbow.
In this passage we find the SIGHT of hope. “In Him the Gentiles shall hope.” Our hope looks to Jesus as its constant focus. We find the SOURCE of hope. He is the “God of hope.” We find the SERENITY of hope, which is “all joy and peace in believing.” We find the SUFFICIENCY of hope, that we “may abound in hope.” God wants to saturate us with hope. We find the SUPPLY of hope, which is “by the power of the Holy Spirit.” Our lives can be and should be characterized by this kind of biblical hope.