Zechariah 9:12 Return to the stronghold you prisoners of hope. Even today I declare that I will restore double to you.
The word “stronghold” in the above scripture means a “fortress” and today your fortress, your stronghold, is Jesus. Jesus has a stronghold on you because of His blood.
Romans 8:35 says that nothing can separate us from the love of God and that’s because of the blood of Jesus. It has purchased you forever by washing away all your sin forever (Hebrews 8:12).
But this scripture also calls you a prisoner of hope and that’s because once you were a prisoner of hopelessness but now you are in a prison of hope!
A prison is a fortress that holds onto people, for all the wrong reasons. But when you are in a prison of hope, the God of hope is your fortress. He surrounds you, His favor surrounds you, His goodness and mercy are hunting you down all the days of your life! (Psalm 23:6)
What a beautiful illustrative picture this is. That’s the picture you want to be holding onto. Not a picture of discouragement and defeat, but one where you are imprisoned by hope, favor and the love of God.
And look what this God of hope declares to you:
Even today I declare that I will restore double to you.
Today, and every day you want to be agreeing with the Lord your God and not disagreeing with Him. If He says that He will restore double, that should be your hope!
Hope is not a “hope so” thing as it is often used in the world. It's a “positive, confident expectation of good happening”.
It's the confident expectation of health when you are sick.
It's the confident expectation of financial well-being when you are in lack.
It's the confident expectation of justice when you have been wronged.
It's the confident expectation of honor when you are humiliated.
It's the confident expectation of progress when you have a set-back.
It's the confident expectation of a child when you are barren.
It's the confident expectation of a job when you are unemployed.
It's the confident expectation of marriage when you are single.
It's the confident expectation of a future when you have no hope.
Romans 4:18 Against all hope, in hope Abraham, believed and became the father of many nations.
Even when all hope is lost in the world – in your health, your work, your finances, your whatever – you can still have hope because your true hope is in the promises God declares about you. This is the hope you hold onto; this is the hope you put your faith in and like for Abraham, the God of hope will not let you down. He will come through for you at just the right time.