Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes…(1 Corinthians 13:7).

According to my super secret sources, the word translated “hope” in this verse is the Greek word elpizo, which means to wait for something with joy and confidence. This confidence is based on the promises of God, which are fully trustworthy though not yet fully fulfilled.

So, what does that mean here?

It means that love waits with joy and confidence.

For what?

For what God will do in the life of the beloved.

I’m not a Bible scholar, but it seems to me that to love in hope is to see people not just as they are, but as they will be. By the grace of God, the beloved will one day be conformed to the image of His Son, will one day be complete in Him. We may not see it today–ain’t THAT the truth–but if we look through the lens of hope, we can see them as God does, as the finished product they will one day be.

Hope is a powerful thing.

Happy Friday, Beloved