God calls Himself the God of hope. In the New Testament, hope is not always something in the future; in many passages it indicates something that is strong, certain, fixed, unmovable, anchored to the very throne of God (e.g., Heb. 6:19). It is not an idle dream, but an absolute reality. Since for us this hope is but a bud, the flowering of which is still future, there is also the sense of expectation and prospect. Thus God is not only our help in time of trouble (Ps. 46:1), our present