Zechariah 9:12 declares,
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Turn ye to the stronghold, ye prisoners of hope
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Ask yourself this question,
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Am I a prisoner of hope?
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The Bible has much to say about hope.
Zechariah 9:12 declares, “Turn ye to the stronghold, ye prisoners of hope …” Ask yourself this question, “Am I a prisoner of hope?”
The Bible has much to say about hope. Consider these biblical passages: “…My flesh also shall rest in hope (Psalm 16:9); The righteous has hope in his death (Proverbs 14:32); … Our hope is lost … (Ezekiel 37:11); … A door of hope (Hosea 2:15); Hope deferred makes the heart sick (Proverbs 13:12); … Sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. (I Thessalonians 4:13).” Obviously hope is important! Are you a prisoner of hope?
You may say, “What do you mean, prisoner of hope?” Simply this, “Are you one of those people who cannot break free from hope; who live within hope’s clutches; who cannot seem to let go of hope no matter how hopeless the situation may seem; no matter how dark the circumstances or desperate the moment?” I hope so!
There are many who are not fettered by such foolish ideas. All around you are those who have broken free from such silly notions. Millions of people exist in a state of perpetual hopelessness. Look at them; you can see it in their posture, the slump of their shoulders, the weariness in their eyes, the sadness in their face. Listen to them; they convey it with every breath … it is their constant, most consistent confession: their job is hopeless, their marriage is hopeless, their finances are hopeless, their weight is hopeless, their problems are hopeless, their children are hopeless, their future is hopeless, their life is hopeless!
But then there are those who, no matter their circumstances, seem to always have hope. Hope for tomorrow, hope for today, hope for change, hope for a miracle, hope for an answer, hope for a breakthrough, hope for the hurting, hope for the hopeless!
Some people call them dreamers, unrealistic, fanciful. Some say they are “in denial” and consider them deluded. Many call them foolish, ignorant, silly. But God calls them people of faith!
God, in His Word, says nothing will be withheld from them; mountains will move; demons will tremble; strongholds will be brought down; bondages will be broken, lying tongues will be silenced; sickness and disease will retreat; storms will cease; problems will disappear; death will lose its sting; blessings will be released; prodigals will return; marriages will be healed; relationships will be restored; bigotry, hatred and ignorance will lose their grip upon human hearts; and truth will set the captive free.
Romans 4:18 says of Abraham, “Who against hope believed in hope, that he might become the father of many nations.” The New English Bible (NEB) puts it like this: “When hope seemed hopeless …;” and Today’s English Version (TEV) reads, “Abraham believed and hoped, when there was no hope …” Abraham was obviously “a prisoner of hope!”
Romans 8:24-25 (TEV) says, “For it was by hope that we were saved; but if we see what we hope for, then it is not really hope. For who hopes for something that he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.” And, Romans 5:3-4 (TEV) states, “And we also rejoice in our troubles, for we know that trouble produces endurance, endurance brings God’s approval, and his approval creates hope.” (Some translations use “perseverance” in place of “endurance” but both essentially mean, “hang in there.”)
It comes down to this: If you have lost hope, however difficult the situation or circumstance in which you find yourself, God’s Word implies you have an endurance problem. Your problems are not your problem! God is not your problem. Your wife, husband, kids, parents, neighbors, boss, job and co-workers are not your problem.
You have an endurance, perseverance problem. And God wants to deal with it in your life because it is only symptomatic of a bigger problem: lack of character. Difficulties produce endurance/perseverance, endurance produces character/patience, and character/patience produces hope. Trace it back: No hope is the result of lack of patience/character, which stems from a lack of endurance/perseverance. That concept may be hard to accept, but that is what the Apostle Paul was saying.
Has God given up on that person, that dream or that situation? No! We give up because we lack character and endurance. Is it possible that God is allowing various tests and problems to come your way because you need to stop blaming, running away and giving up?
“Do not lose your courage, then, for it brings with it a great reward. You need to be patient, in order to do the will of God and receive what he promises (Heb. 10:35-36 – TEV).”
Remember, a diamond is just a piece of coal that didn’t crack under pressure. Let God develop endurance, perseverance, character and patience in you and become “a prisoner of HOPE!”
