Real hope is not just blind hope. Real hope can afford to be objective, to look reality in the face. Consider the story of Abraham in the Old Testament. By the time God promised this man and his wife, Sarah, that they would give birth to a son, the elderly couple had long since qualified for Medicare. Now, Abraham was no fool. He knew that, humanly speaking, fathering a son with Sarah at their age could not happen. Nevertheless, “against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many nations.”

Why does the Bible say, “Against all hope”? Because, from a purely human perspective, Abraham and Sarah had no hope of conceiving a child. They had passed the age of childbearing years. Yet despite that enormous obstacle, Abraham knew the character of God and that the Lord’s word could be trusted completely. He was “fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised.”

Over breakfast, Abraham may have looked at his wife and said, “Sarah, there is no hope for you. Or me. There is no way we can have a baby. But God has said we’re going to have one, so we are going to have one.” Talk about outrageous hope! But guess what? Abraham and Sarah had a baby! It seems to me the world could use a little more outrageous hope. Just imagine how that hope will change the world!      

This is Luis Palau.