Sunday, 4 October 2026
Where in the Bible? No. 4
Today's theme was Hope. Here are the five verses, where each one sits between Genesis and Revelation, and what it means.
Verse 1 · What hope is
But if we hope for what we do not yet see, we wait for it patiently.
Romans 8:25 · verse 28,142 of 31,102, 90.5% of the way through the Bible · New Testament, Pauline Epistles
What it means
Christian hope, Paul says, is by nature directed toward what has not yet arrived. Because believers trust God's promise of future glory, they can wait for it with patience and endurance rather than despair.
Where it fits
Part of Romans 8, about 90.5% through the Bible, in the New Testament letters. It belongs to Paul's passage on the groaning of creation and the hope of final redemption.
Verse 2 · Where hope comes from
For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, to give you a future and a hope.
Jeremiah 29:11 · verse 19,647 of 31,102, 63.2% of the way through the Bible · Old Testament, Major Prophets
What it means
Jeremiah writes a letter to Jews already exiled in Babylon. Rather than promising a quick escape, he tells them to settle down for seventy years. But God has not forgotten them: His long-term plans are for their good and their return home.
Where it fits
Jeremiah is one of the Major Prophets, about 63 percent of the way through the Bible in the Old Testament. Chapter 29 preserves his letter to the exiles, written after the first wave of deportations to Babylon.
Verse 3 · What hope looks like
But as for me, I will look to the LORD; I will wait for the God of my salvation. My God will hear me.
Micah 7:7 · verse 22,672 of 31,102, 72.9% of the way through the Bible · Old Testament, Minor Prophets
What it means
Micah has just described a society so broken that even family members cannot trust each other. Rather than despair, he makes a personal decision to keep watching and waiting for God. It is a model of quiet, confident hope when everything around seems to be falling apart.
Where it fits
This verse comes in the final chapter of Micah, which moves from lament to hope. It sits about 72.9% of the way through the Bible, in the sixth of the twelve Minor Prophets.
Verse 4 · When hope is hard
Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why the unease within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise Him, my Savior and my God.
Psalm 42:11 · verse 14,567 of 31,102, 46.8% of the way through the Bible · Old Testament, Wisdom & Poetry
What it means
The psalmist feels far from God and is weighed down by sorrow. Rather than simply giving in to his low mood, he questions it and talks to himself, urging his own soul to trust God. He is sure the day of praise will come again.
Where it fits
Old Testament, in the book of Psalms. Psalm 42 opens Book Two of the Psalms, and this closing line is a refrain repeated through the psalm. It sits about 47% of the way through the Bible.
Verse 5 · Living it out
Let us hold resolutely to the hope we profess, for He who promised is faithful.
Hebrews 10:23 · verse 30,157 of 31,102, 97.0% of the way through the Bible · New Testament, General Epistles
What it means
The writer of Hebrews has explained that Jesus opened the way for people to come near to God. In response, readers are urged not to drift but to cling firmly to what they believe and confess. The reason is not their own strength: the One who made the promise is faithful.
Where it fits
New Testament, in the letter to the Hebrews. It comes at a turning point where the letter moves from teaching to practical encouragement, about 97% of the way through the Bible.
What Scripture says about hope
- Hope waits patiently for what is not yet seen.
- God holds our future in His good plans.
- Hope keeps looking to God and waiting for Him.
- When discouraged, we can point our souls back to God.
- Hold on, because God keeps His promises.
Take it with you
What are you waiting for God to do, and how can you trust Him with it today?
A prayer
God of hope, when the future feels uncertain, remind me that You are faithful. Help me hold on to Your promises and wait for You with patience.