Let thy mercies come also unto me, O Lord, even thy salvation, according to thy word. So shall I have wherewith to answer him that reproacheth me: for I trust in thy word. (Psalm 119:41-42)
Our hope in our Lord is built on two major aspects which we can depend on and will never fail us.
(1) The Grace of God
We do not obtain salvation by our own merit, but we obtain it through God’s compassion and mercy on us. We can expect eternal life as a result of God’s grace towards us, and not because of our own doing.
“Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life” (Jude 21).
(2) The Promise of God
We trust in God’s word and therefore we may expect the performance of the promises he makes. It is not only expected to trust in God’s word, but our trusting in it is condition of our benefit and gain by it – even during difficulties.
“Just as the blessings promised by God are unutterably great, so their acquisition requires much hardship and toil undertaken with hope and faith.” – Saint Makarios of Egypt