Lesson 02

Image 1: The sun rises over a vast, open field of wheat.

The Bible Gives Hope

People around the world deal with problems that cause them to feel sadness, anxiety, and even pain. Have you ever faced a situation that made you feel those things? Perhaps you are suffering because of an illness or because someone you love has died. You may ask yourself, ‘Will life ever get better?’ The Bible provides a reassuring answer to that question.

1. How does the Bible give hope?

The Bible not only explains why the world is filled with problems but also shares the good news that these problems are temporary and will soon be gone. The Bible’s promises can “give you a future and a hope.”

Read Jeremiah 29.11, 12: “‘For I well know the thoughts that I am thinking toward you,’ declares Jehovah, ‘thoughts of peace, and not of calamity, to give you a future and a hope. And you will call me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you.’

Those promises help us to cope with our present problems, to have a positive attitude, and to find lasting happiness.

2. What kind of future does the Bible describe?

The Bible describes a future time when “death will be no more, neither will mourning nor outcry nor pain be anymore.”

Read Revelation 21.4: And he will wipe out every tear from their eyes, and death will be no more, neither will mourning nor outcry nor pain be anymore. The former things have passed away.”

The problems that can make life seem hopeless today—such as poverty, injustice, sickness, and death—will no longer exist. The Bible promises that humans will be able to enjoy life forever in Paradise on earth.

3. How can you build up your trust in the hope the Bible gives?

Many people hope for good things to happen, but they cannot be sure that their hopes will ever be fulfilled. What the Bible promises is different. We can build up our trust in what it says by “carefully examining the Scriptures.”

As you study the Bible, you will be able to decide for yourself whether you can believe what it says about the future.

DIG DEEPER

Examine some of the conditions that the Bible promises for the future. See how the hope the Bible gives is helping people today.

Image 2 Collage: Contrasting scenes compare conditions that people experience today with conditions that the Bible promises for the future. The scenes are repeated below.

4. The Bible offers the hope of everlasting life in perfect conditions

Look at the following list of promises found in the Bible. Which ones especially appeal to you? Why?

Read the scriptures cited next to those promises, and consider these questions:

Picture living in a world where

NO ONE WILL . . .

NO ONE WILL feel pain, weaken with age, or have to die.

NO ONE WILL get sick or live with a disability.

NO ONE WILL experience injustice.

NO ONE WILL suffer as a result of war.

NO ONE WILL be plagued by troubling thoughts or memories.

EVERYONE WILL . . .

EVERYONE WILL see dead loved ones resurrected, brought back to life on earth.

EVERYONE WILL enjoy good health and youthful energy.

EVERYONE WILL have plenty to eat, a comfortable home, and satisfying work.

EVERYONE WILL experience complete peace.

EVERYONE WILL live forever in ideal conditions.

Do you feel that these scriptures give hope? Could they give hope to your family and friends?

Image 3: A boy who was sick is healthy and hugging his mother.
Image 4: A man who was elderly is young and pushing a wheelbarrow full of vegetables.
Image 5: Children who were starving and were victims of forced labor are now planting a garden and playing soccer.
Image 6: A woman who was curled up and depressed is now standing tall and smiling.

5. The Bible’s hope can make a difference

Many people are discouraged or even angered by the problems they see around them. Some fight to try to change things for the better. See how the Bible’s promise that things will get better helps people now. Play the VIDEO, and then discuss the questions that follow.

AD))) Video Title: I Wanted to Fight Injustice (with Audio Description and Transcript) (Duration: 4:07).

Image 7 Collage: Scenes from the video ‘I Wanted to Fight Injustice.’ 1. Rafika harvested cotton with people of her race when she was a girl. 2. Rafika is thrilled to see people from different races getting along when she attends a convention of Jehovah’s Witnesses for her first time.

In the video, what injustice troubled Rafika?

Although the injustice that she saw did not go away, how did the Bible help her?

The hope that the Bible offers for the future can help us to battle discouragement and cope with our problems successfully.

Read Proverbs 17.22: A joyful heart is good medicine, But a crushed spirit saps one’s strength.

Read Romans 12.12: Rejoice in the hope. Endure under tribulation. Persevere in prayer.

Discuss these questions:

Do you think that the message of hope found in the Bible could make a difference in your life now? Why?

SOME PEOPLE SAY: “The Bible’s promises for the future are too good to be true.”

Why do you think it is important to examine the evidence?

SUMMARY

The Bible gives us hope and helps us to cope with challenges by promising a future filled with happiness.

Review

Why do people need hope?

What does the Bible say about the future?

How can having a hope for the future help you now?

Lesson completed on:

Goal

Become more familiar with the Bible’s promises by reading the verses listed in this lesson.

Other: Memorizing Bible scriptures is vital for blind individuals to defend the truth using the Bible, build faith, provide comfort during difficult times, and keep God’s principles firm in heart and mind.

From lesson 2, memorize Revelation 21:4: And he will wipe out every tear from their eyes, and death will be no more, neither will mourning nor outcry nor pain be anymore. The former things have passed away.”

Build a Bible mind map to locate scriptures, memorize: Joshua, Judges, Ruth.

EXPLORE

1. Learn more about the power of hope.

“Hope—Where Can You Find It?” (Awake!, April 22, 2004) Open explore 1 in new page

2. Discover how hope for the future can help those who are living with chronic illness.

“Living With Chronic Illness—Can the Bible Help?” (Web article) Open explore 2 in new page

3. When you watch this music video, picture yourself and your family enjoying life in the Bible’s promised future Paradise.

Imagine the Time (3:37) Open explore 3 in new page

4. Read how a social activist’s life changed once he learned the Bible’s hope for the future.

“I No Longer Feel That I Have to Change the World” (The Watchtower, July 1, 2013) Open explore 4 in new page

[End of lesson 2.]