Waiting and Hope

 I wait for the Lord, my soul waits,
And in His word I do hope.
⁶ My soul waits for the Lord
More than those who watch for the morning—
Yes, more than those who watch for the morning.

⁷ O Israel, hope in the Lord;
For with the Lord there is mercy,
And with Him is abundant redemption.
⁸ And He shall redeem Israel
From all his iniquities.

I learned by heart the poem by John Milton, On His Blindness, in my Christian college days:

When I consider how my light is spent,

   Ere half my days, in this dark world and wide,

   And that one Talent which is death to hide 

Lodged with me useless, though my Soul more bent

To serve therewith my Maker, and present

   My true account, lest he returning chide;

   “Doth God exact day-labour, light denied?”

   I fondly ask. But patience, to prevent

That murmur, soon replies, “God doth not need

   Either man’s work or his own gifts; who best

   Bear his mild yoke, they serve him best. His state

Is Kingly. Thousands at his bidding speed

   And post o’er Land and Ocean without rest:

   They also serve who only stand and wait.”

 

Due to the changes in meaning of words and an assumption that the man who wrote shared all the beliefs and values of 21st century evangelicals (he didn't), we misinterpret parts of this poem. But the last line still remain a comfort: They also serve who only stand and wait. And the 130th psalm, verses 5 and 6, also equates hope with waiting.  

 

 I wait for the Lord, my soul waits,
And in His word I do hope.

 

Is waiting the same as hoping? Or is hope the secret to waiting? What is the connection?

 

I don't think we talk about, think about, or teach about hope enough; Paul said faith, hope, and love abide, yet we put hope on the shelf.